Barcelona are set to reacquaint themselves with the fabled San Siro as they take on AC Milan on Tuesday. This is the seventh time these two sides have met in the past two years. The last time the Catalan giants were in Lombardy, it was a case of them running back to Catalonia with their tails between their legs, thanks to goals by Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari.
At that time, many thought that the defeat was the beginning of the end for Barcelona. The same team that was then considered to be fading away has now become a genuine Champions League contender while their victors are now struggling a lot domestically while being exploited by inferior opposition in Europe.
Judging by the way things have gone for them in the last few months, it is hard to see the Rossoneri take the game to the visitors on Tuesday night. After a poor start to the Serie A this season with just three wins, the once mighty Milan are far from a side that can take it to the next level against Barca.
Moreover, injury crises have hit Allegri’s men pretty hard with star striker Mario Balotelli and Christian Abbiati likely to miss the game.
First blip
On Saturday, Tata Martino’s men had their first blip of the season which was a goalless draw against Osasuna. This was the first time the residents of Camp Nou dropped points this season. Milan would be taking heart from a dogged display by Osasuna but must also be aware that it is very likely to see Barca stutter inconsistently.
And with the players they have at their disposal, Martino’s men will be eager to make amends for Saturday’s draw and will be confident of their chances against a side that has been very inconsistent so far this season.
Messi injury
With Neymar and Lionel Messi set to start the game, Milan will have a huge amount of defending to do. However, the San Siro giants will definitely be looking to make the best out of the fact that the Argentine is not yet fully fit and might not be as energetic as he always is. Philippe Mexes, Cristian Zapata and the rest have enough on their plates but having a less than 100% fit Messi is something not many teams get.
Chile international Alexis Sanchez is expected to be handed a start. His extensive knowledge of the Serie A, thanks to his successful stint at Udinese will prove invaluable.
Sulley Muntari and Antonio Nocerino have provided decent support to the attack but it is Nigel de Jong whose combative personality will be required against a very disciplined Barcelona midfield.
A lot has been said of the San Siro pitch. Indeed Barcelona have struggled to adapt to the pitch conditions in Lombardy in recent history and that would be something Milan might use to their benefit.
All in all, despite having home advantage, Milan might not really be that confident about their chances of winning against Barcelona who have made a fantastic start to the new season.
