Wednesday the 28th of March 2012 Time | Barcelona (CEST), 20:45| LOS ANGELES (PDT), 11:45| MONTREAL (EDT), 14:45| LONDON (GMT), 18:45 Convert to your local time . . . San Siro - Milan Capacity: 80,074 Stadium Info | Google Street ............................... Previous meetings • There was no shortage of goals and excitement when the clubs met in Milan on matchday five. Barcelona prevailed 3-2 at San Siro on 23 November to consign their hosts to the runners-up berth in Group H. Xavi Hernández hit a 63rd-minute winner after Zlatan Ibrahimović (20) and Kevin-Prince Boateng (54) had cancelled out leads given Barcelona by Mark van Bommel's own goal (14) and Lionel Messi's penalty (31). Milan played for the last hour with ten men after Alberto Aquilani's dismissal. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21RqV4nLMlU&hd=1"]Milan 2-3 Barcelona (Champions League 23.11.2011) - YouTube[/ame] • The teams' matchday one meeting on 13 September finished 2-2, Thiago Silva scoring a 92nd-minute equaliser for Milan after Pedro Rodríguez (36) and David Villa (50) had overturned Pato's goal in the first minute. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncWY_7FEanU&hd=1"]Highlights Barcelona 2-2 AC Milan - 13-09-2011 - YouTube[/ame] 2009 Joan Gamper [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poVQL6B3HlY&hd=1"]Barcelona (4) 1-1 (2) AC Milan Amistoso 08/25/2010 Trofeo Joan Gamper 2010 - YouTube[/ame] Wed 26/04/06 UCL Barcelona 0 - 0 Milan Tue 18/04/06 UCL Milan 0 - 1 Barcelona Tue 02/11/04 UCL Barcelona 2 - 1 Milan Wed 20/10/04 UCL Milan 1 - 0 Barcelona **************** Match background • Milan have a formidable home record in European Cup quarter-finals. This is their 15th appearance in the last eight and they have yet to lose a home leg at this stage, with ten wins and four draws. • That record will be put to the test against a Barcelona side who have won their last six away fixtures in the UEFA Champions League – and scored 15 goals in four games on the road in this term's competition. • Overall, Milan have won 11 and lost three of the 14 quarter-finals they have contested. Their most recent victory was against FC Bayern München in 2006/07, the season of their last European triumph. The most recent defeat came against Spain's RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2003/04 when they famously surrendered a 4-1 first-leg advantage in Galicia. They had no quarter-final matches in 1992/93 and 1993/94, because of the evolving format of the newly established UEFA Champions League. • Barcelona have won the same number of quarter-finals as Milan, with 11 wins and two defeats from 13 appearances at this stage. Like Milan, they had no quarter-finals to negotiate when reaching the final in 1991/92 and 1993/94. • Barcelona have won their last five quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League – four in a row between 2008 and 2011 – and another in 2006. Their last defeat at this stage was against another Italian team, Juventus, in 2002/03. They last lost the away leg of a quarter-final tie at Panathinaikos FC in 2001/02. • Aside from their defeat by Barcelona, Milan have done well at home in Europe this term, their other three fixtures all yielding victories with a combined score of 8-0. • The Rossoneri have won none of their last four home games against Liga opposition but their overall record against visitors from Spain is W11 D4 L6. • Barcelona's overall record away to Italian sides is W5 D6 L5. ******************* Team ties • As a player, Barcelona coach Guardiola had spells at Brescia Calcio and AS Roma after leaving Camp Nou. He was a team-mate of Daniele Bonera at Brescia in 2001/02. On 10 May 2003 he appeared in Brescia's 1-0 home win against a Milan side including Ambrosini with Christian Abbiation the bench. • Gianluca Zambrotta (2006-08), Ibrahimović (2009-10), Van Bommel (2005-06) and the on-loan López (2005-07) have all had spells at Barcelona. Van Bommel won the UEFA Champions League with the Azulgrana in 2006. López scored his only goal in UEFA club competition on his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League for Barcelona against Chelsea FC in 2005. • Javier Mascherano and Aquilani played together at Liverpool FC in 2009/10. Mascherano was in the Liverpool team beaten 2-1 by Milan in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final. • Cesc Fàbregas and Mathieu Flamini were Arsenal FC team-mates from 2004 to 2008. Fàbregas scored at San Siro in a 2-0 win at Milan in the 2007/08 round of 16 second leg, with Flamini also featuring. • Iniesta scored the extra-time winner as Spain overcame a Netherlands side featuring Van Bommel in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final. • Villa and Fàbregas converted from the spot as Spain defeated Italy 4-2 on penalties in the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals. Ambrosini, Zambrotta and Aquilani appeared for Italy. • Aquilani got the winner as Italy overcame Spain 2-1 in a friendly last August in which Thiago made his senior Spain debut. • The two clubs' respective Italy and Spain contingents will meet again in the summer when their national teams face off in the group stage at UEFA EURO 2012 – in their opening game in Gdansk on 10 June. • The sidelined Éric Abidal was sent off when an Italy team including Zambrotta, Gattuso and substitute Aquilani overcame France 2-0 in the UEFA EURO 2008 group stage. • Alexis Sánchez scored in Udinese Calcio's 4-4 draw at Milan last season. That was his sole goal in seven league and cup meetings with Milan during three years in Udine which brought three wins, two draws and two defeats. . . . Right Click on the image and click on View Image to view the full-size images. Post-match stats to follow
Team News (From UEFA) AC Milan Mark van Bommel serves a one-game ban in the first leg; Antonio Nocerino's next booking will incur a suspension. Injury news • Thiago Silva went off with a thigh injury early on against Roma, a game Van Bommel missed with a back problem. • Kevin-Prince Boateng (out since 15 February) and Alessandro Nesta (4 February) were on the bench on Saturday on their comeback from thigh problems, with Boateng coming on in the second half. Clarence Seedorf was also on the bench in his second game back from a similar knock suffered on 15 February. • Pato (25 February) and Ignazio Abate (15 March) remain sidelined by thigh injuries, and Milan's injury list also includes Robinho (ankle, 14 March) and Alexander Merkel (knee, 26 January). • Gennaro Gattuso, out since 9 September after being diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy, returned to action on 17 March. He, Antonio Cassano (heart, out since 29 October) and Mathieu Flamini (knee ligaments, 21 August) are all ineligible for the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona Carles Puyol's next booking will incur a suspension. Injury news • Adriano did not feature on Saturday after suffering a thigh strain against Granada. • Thiago Alcántara started against Granada, his first appearance in a month because of a right shin problem. • On 15 March it was announced that Abidal will have a liver transplant over the coming weeks. • David Villa could miss the rest of the season after breaking his left leg at the Club World Cup on 15 December. Andreu Fontàs will not feature until 2012/13 after tearing knee ligaments on 12 January. • Ibrahim Afellay, who suffered a knee ligament injury in September, returned to training on 16 February. AC Milan: Thiago Silva, Cassano, Eren Derdiyok FC Barcelona: Ibrahim Afellay, Andreu Fontás, David Villa, Adriano General Stats Goal Types Player Stats . . . Visca el Barça
Dunno their other injuries, but apparently Thiago Silva is out of the first leg, having been injured in the Roma match yesterday (he already struggled in the warm-up before the match). Although: could always be tactics to give impression of a more serious injury than it is, but this doesn't smell like that. Not that I wish injuries to anyone, just that if their key def is out, it's a factor that contributes to the expectations concerning the match.
How has their form been as of late? I haven´t seen Pato play for a long time. Also, Robinho doens´t seem to be in the starting XI ? Or are those only injuries? Boateng is back apparently. What about their midfield?
This is going to be a classic battle of this season... It will all come down to the 1st leg I think, if Barca can score away they'll have it locked down. If Milan keep a clean sheet at home and manage to score 1 or 2, it's going to be a huge advantage going to Barcelona. They could win the tie from there.
Winning mostly, apart from games vs. Juve but we seem to always be in an injury crisis. He's generally injured these days, just been sent to a doctor in the US to try and clear it up, but i partly expect him to be sold in the summer. Injuries, if he's fit he plays. Again depends who is fit, possibly we'll have Ambro and Seedorf playing, but trying to predict who will be fit is a nightmare. The biggest blow is Silva not being there and I'm not too sure how Abate is so will just have to see who is in the squad before making predictions.
Apparently Silva is confirmed out for both legs. That's a huge blow for them. Not only he is probably their best defender, but he was an aerial threat in corners (he scored the tying goal against us this year at the Camp Nou).
Hopefully the Barca players were saving their inspiration for this Milan match...cause they certainly seemed uninterested at Mallorca. IF they put their best foot forward I don't see why we can't out right win this match at Milan. We utterly dominated both matches against them, especially at the San Siro, and created dozens of scoring opportunities. I say start Puyol at LB and please, Pep, keep Iniesta in the midfield with Xavi! No more of this Iniesta on the left business. He's ok there, but the entire team operates MUCH better when he and Xavi are flowing passes together in the midfield. I've also liked Alexis better when he's operating on the left and cutting in with his right, gives the team a better dynamic.
[LINEUP-4-3-3]Sánchez, Messi, Pedro, Iniesta, Sergio, Xavi, Puyol, Piqué, Mascherano, Alves, Valdés[/LINEUP-4-3-3]
I was really hoping we would be healthy for this to see what were capable of but we just have way too many key injuries right now. Thiago Silva is now out from his injury against Roma, Pato's gone, Robinho's gone, Van Bommel's gone, Abate is gone.. Just too many. Should be an easy win for you guys.
Lets do it. One of the biggest tests of the season yet, I know they have quite a few injuries, but Milan is Milan and this is the Champions League, you never know. Hope to score at least 2 away goals. Excited.
This would be our best eleven, I have a feeling though Pep will move Iniesta on the wing and fit in Cesc on midfield.
This will be a very tough tie and I said before the draw I would take any other team over AC Milan. Italian teams are always a pain for La Liga teams. Their style just doesn't play well into our hands. The first game in November we out-passed them what seemed like 10:1 but they left with a draw (a late one but still). This tie will come down to the first leg. If the team can get an away goal than the chances are good. Just hope they don't give up stupid goals like the one Pato or Boateng scored last time. I like the line up with Puyol at LB and Masch at CB. They won't have Silva which is a big blow but not having Abidal or Adriano is a big blow as well.
I have £120 on Barca to win at 6/4 All the bets I am doing on Barca is going on my honeymoon spending money The next one I will do is against Chelsea or Benfica away or against R.M on 22 April, whichever comes first
The squad list has been announced and there is a big surprise! Valdés, Pinto, Oier Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Muniesa, Montoya Xavi, Iniesta, Fàbregas, Thiago, Mascherano, Keita, Busquets Alexis, Messi, Pedro, Afellay, Cuenca, Tello
@ Affellay. I can't see us not scoring on Wednesday, and I definitely can't see us not winning at home. so unless Milan are going to beat us 4-1 or something at the San Siro, I fully expect us to go through. the one thing we can't do is panic, whatever happens. we did that in 2010 when Inter went 2-1 up, and that allowed them to score the killer 3rd which ultimately decided the tie.
- injuries schminjuries: that's why clubs compete with squads, not with XIs. Milan has key players missing, but so do we and that's more or less the default situation. - not that there are too many people saying "we're gonna win this easily", but anyways lol at them. It's never easy in CL quarters, and it's never easy against a club like AC Milan anywhere. Milan after all is, well, Milan. That said: we are the favourites and we are better in every area IMO and should go to the pitch hungry to demonstrate it (as I'm sure we will) and I trust us to end up on top.
Referee will be 38 year old Jonas Eriksson (Sweden). UEFA matches he's been in charge of this season: CL Matchday 1: Manchester City 1-1 Napoli (5 bookings) CL Matchday 2: Olympique Marseille 3-0 Borussia Dortmund (2 bookings, 1 double yellow) CL Matchday 4: Valencia 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen (5 bookings) CL Matchday 5: Olympique Lyon 0-0 AFC Ajax (4 bookings) CL 2ndR-1stL: Zenit St. Petersburg 3-2 Benfica (5 bookings) EL 3rdR-1stL: Atlético Madrid 3-1 Beşiktaş (2 bookings) And he's only reffed one of Barcelona's UEFA matches: 2010/11 Matchday 6: FC Barcelona 2-0 Rubin Kazan (1 booking)
I think we have the better goalkeeper (respectfully) which isn't saying much but he did save our ass against Arsenal. I think its extremely difficult to do a repeat in the CL in this day in age, but if there is a club that can do it, its Barcelona. I'm not a fan of the Catalan club, I admit (I hate Real even more to be honest); but I can relate to the fans in that I've also experienced a very successful period for my club in the late 80's early 90's and small portion of the 2000's so I don't blame you guys for being proud and full of confidence. I don't agree with the business structure of La Liga and some of the unprecedented spending European clubs are practicing (not just Barcelona obviously) but I will give credit where its due: Barca this century is changing the way the game is played, they've completed turned modern football theory on its head and are introducing some incredible ideas. And of course there are those who challenge the idea's and will do anything to stop it (Inter 2 years ago). On paper Milan don't have the resources to compete, but in tournament play it always comes down to the same thing i.e. which team makes the fewest mistakes.
Great comment there To Barca's credit, much of the core of the team was developed in house which is very uncommon to see nowadays. Feel bad for Milan for missing some important players due to injury. It sucks to be missing important players at such a key moment in the season.