A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Friday:
ITALY
AC Milan is hoping the return of the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimović will help it get over a miserable run when it hosts Torino — the team that knocked it out of the Italian Cup last month. The 41-year-old Ibrahimović has not played since undergoing a knee operation in May but could be on the bench against Torino. Milan is winless in seven matches and fell to a fourth straight defeat on Sunday, against Inter Milan in the city derby. That saw the defending champion slip to sixth in a tight battle for the Champions League places. Milan hosts Tottenham when this season’s Champions League resumes next week. Torino has only lost one of its league matches since that cup upset and that has pushed the team up to seventh, eight points behind Milan.
GERMANY
Wolfsburg visits last-placed Schalke looking to reignite its push for Champions League qualification. Wolfsburg started 2023 in style with 6-0 and 5-0 wins in its first two Bundesliga games but momentum has ground to a halt with three consecutive losses. A game at struggling Schalke seems the perfect chance for Niko Kovač's team to turn things around. Beset by financial problems and without a league win since November, Schalke's chances of avoiding relegation are fading despite making six loan signings in January.
FRANCE
Nice looks to make up ground in the race for European spots when it hosts struggling Ajaccio in the league. Since Didier Digard replaced Lucien Favre as coach last month, Nice has taken 13 points from 15 to climb to eighth place. Nice will miss Nicolas Pepe, Youcef Atal and Marcin Bulka — all injured — but will be able to rely on striker Gaetan Laborde, who has scored in his last three games. Ajaccio has lost five of its last six games and will field a weakened team because Ismael Diallo and Vincent Marchetti are suspended while Thomas Mangani, Yoann Touzghar, Youssouf Kone and Mathieu Coutadeur are sidelined by injuries. The Corsican club is 18th, one point from safety.
SPAIN
Cadiz hosts Girona hoping for a win that would lift it out of the Spanish league’s relegation zone and push Valencia down into the bottom three. While struggling, Cadiz has managed to go unbeaten in its last seven homes games, winning two and drawing five. Girona is in 11th place with only two losses in the previous six rounds.
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