5. Don't speculate.
Many fans may still believe that Milan are not worthy of being in this instance of the Champions League, after their debacle against Arsenal. It should be considered a debacle, because even if Milan did manage to progress they did this looking very ordinary (much like losers) on the occasion. The Rossoneri came into that encounter with a massive 4-0 advantage following the first leg result at the San Siro, but although they appeared to have the tie in a bag, they rather surprisingly went into the break of the return leg 3-0 down. Only a miracle saved Milan at the Emirates that night, and the defeat should be a learning lesson for the side ahead of their showdown with Barcelona.
No matter what happens, Allegri can't afford to allow his side to speculate, because if they wait to see what happens, Barcelona could easily rip them up into pieces within just minutes. Barcelona are far more dangerous opponents than Arsenal, and if Milan sit back and wait for them, rather than playing their normal game things could get very ugly for them. Unlike on that occasion, Massimiliano Allegri can’t afford to play his best players (namely Zlatan Ibrahimovic) outside of position.
4. Allow the veterans to lead by example.
When it comes to the decisive stages of the Champions League, and in particular games which involve two European powerhouses, experience goes a long way. Milan have the fortune to count with several experienced players in their squad, such as Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta and Massimo Ambrosini, and it is these guys who should lead by example on Tuesday.
There's no doubt that Barcelona will be extremely difficult nuts to crack, but the experience that Milan's veterans have gathered other the years is invaluable to the side, and to their chances of picking up the desired result. While many of these aging players may not have the physical attributes to compete with a relatively young Barcelona outfit (Milan's expected starting eleven average 30.7 years, compared to 25.8 for Barca), they are definitely mentally equipped to do so. If things get tough and possibly out of hand, Milan should look to their elders.
3. Cancel out Lionel Messi.
Like it or not, if Milan want to beat Barcelona, first they must beat Messi. Milan did a good job in containing him at the San Siro last week, but will have to do a significantly greater job to do the same at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. It is very rare for Messi to go two games without finding the back of the net in the same competition (he scored against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday), and he will be desperate to convert against Milan.
Due to this, Milan have to find a way to cancel him out, and unfortunately one of the only ways to do this is to resort to rough (but not illegal) tackling. Mark van Bommel would have been the perfect player to intimidate him, but the Dutchman has been discarded for the match due to a hamstring injury. But rather than to man-mark him, which hasn’t worked for the majority of teams who have tried this approach in the past, Milan must find a way to stop him from receiving the ball. Stopping the supply rate of Andres Iniesta and Xavi (if he plays) is essential.
2. Take the game to Barca.
Few teams have the guts and the quality to take the game to Barcelona, but in order to progress Milan must work out a way to do this. Milan simply can't afford to invite the Catalans onto them for the duration of the ninety minutes, or even quite possibly the duration of the 120 minutes (if they play extra-time), because if they adopt this strategy, like so many teams have in the past, they will get absolutely slaughtered.
Barcelona have the tendency to grow as a unit and in confidence when they are allowed to play their game, and because of this Milan have to try to upset their rhythm. The best way to do this is to take the game to Barca instead, and although this is no straightforward task, Milan are one of few teams capable of doing this. What Allegri should focus on is getting his team to play possession-based soccer, and you'd find that Milan's entire starting eleven are very competent with the ball at their feet. Allegri's desired 4-3-1-2 tactical formation should be beneficial for this kind of approach.
1. Look for a goal at all costs.
Having fought out a goalless draw at the San Siro stadium last week, Milan are more than aware that if they manage to find the back of the net at the Camp Nou they will already have done half of the job, as due to the away goals rule, Barcelona would be forced to score at least two goals against them to stay alive in the competition.
With Ibrahimovic, who with 22 goals is currently top of the Serie A scoring charts, expected to spearhead their attack, the Rossoneri contain a player who is more than capable of hitting the target. The Swede is Milan's most dangerous weapon, and if he is provided with adequate service from the midfield, there's no doubt that he will cause havoc for the Barcelona defense. The fact that his strike-partner, Robinho, managed to score on the weekend, further boosts Milan's chances of scoring a potentially decisive away goal.
