This may be, in one way or another, for different reasons. In the end though, it is all for the same goal: succeeding in Europe. As title holders and UEFA Super Cup winners, the Spanish giants have much to defend.
On their side, the Italians will be looking to build something new on a strong foundation - having failed to leave their mark at continental level last season subsequent to a bitter defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16. They certainly have the players to undertake their mission with confidence, but their latest result somehow puts in doubt their capability to shake the Camp Nou.
At the weekend
AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw against Lazio, but it wasn’t in the most disappointing manner. The Rossoneri actually came from two goals down to level the match, thanks to goals from former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano. In fact, they probably had more positives out of their league game than the Catalans.
Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men thought they were in control at some point on Saturday, against Real Sociedad. But two goals in quick succession from Xavi and Fabregas surprisingly happened to be insufficient to seal what could have been a victory. The opposition only had to take advantage of Los Cules’ sloppy defence to jump back on track and earn an end result similar to the one that emerged at the San Siro on Friday.
Correcting Mistakes
If Barcelona are poised to put on a good, rewarding show in their stadium on Tuesday night, then reviewing their strategy is certainly needed. Looking at the performances of the team since their revolution in the summer of 2008, it is obvious that attacking play has been at the source of their success.
Although their defence has never proved too weak against tough challengers, serious problems at the back were exposed at the weekend when poor marking allowed Sociedad to make an evitable comeback. This was clear enough for everyone to see, and the players themselves were aware of the danger under which they were bending prior to their test on Tuesday.
Sergio Busquets (post-match interview): “We have to take note of it and correct the mistakes […]. (When) you come back from another setting, another team, and different teammates (after international days), it is not easy to get back to what we do well. We just cannot let that happen again.”
Pep Guardiola (post-match interview): “That was a very good lesson for us for the future. […]We have to take things as they come, knowing that it is all very hard. We need to make a huge effort.”
Evidently, pushing hard and putting much pressure on Barcelona’s back would be a good method in favour of AC Milan; but they also have their mistakes to correct - making their task more demanding. On several occasions in the UEFA Champions League last season, the offside rule prevented the Italians from scoring flood of goals.
Statistics even revealed that - along with Javier Hernandez - striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the most flagged player in the competition, having fallen in the trap 17 times in 652 minutes. This can appear as a very negative fact, knowing that a great part of the Catalans’ technique relies on the art and benefits of the offside rule.
Of course, while manager Massimiliano Allegri looks to enhance his team’s movement upfront, he might also want to ensure that his boys are in the best of shape mentally so as to avoid any sign of bad conduct on the pitch. With Gennaro Gattuso’s confrontation with Spurs’ Joe Jordan still fresh in some of the fans’ memories, there is undeniably a need for the coach to urge his players to fight the Spanish forces with self-respect and prudence.
Team News
Barcelona
Carles Puyol is expected to feature in the side after completing a recovery programme that was meant to shake off a long term knee injury. Afellay, Adriano and Maxwell are also considered fit to perform, whereas there are few doubts over Gerard Pique’s eligibility.
Due to a tear in his right leg’s femoral biceps, new signing Alexis Sanchez will be unable to join the squad. The young Chilean forward, who got injured at the weekend, underwent a series of tests on Sunday morning, and is anticipated to miss eight weeks of action.
Milan
No real injury seems to be threatening the Rossoneri ahead of their Champions League match against Barcelona. Pato, Bonera, Zambrotta, Seedorf and Robinho all trained at the Milanello sports centre on Saturday – along with El Shaarawy, Emanuelson, Nocerino and Taiwo. The coach is nevertheless likely to make few modifications to leave out some players who faced Lazio.
Relevant Quotes
Sergio Busquets (press conference): “Milan have great players, especially upfront. Ibrahimovic, Pato, Robinho, and Cassano are extremely dangerous and we will have to keep an eye on them.”
Massimiliano Allegri (press conference): “We are ready to play this game. It is the first game of the Champions League and we want to start well. […]We are playing against a side that has won so much, but our aim is to get through the group stages.”
