Champions League Preview: FC Barcelona vs. AC Milan

Pato vs. Messi

FC Barcelona, will be going into the first game of their UEFA Champions League with a low morale as they drew their last league game due to complacent football. Their rivals, AC Milan, aren’t doing so well either drawing their last league game. Barcelona and Milan, two of the biggest sides in European football will hopefully produce an entertaining and, probably, interesting match. Milan would be looking to recapture this lost glory. The most memorable game between these two giants being the 1994 UEFA Champions League final where Milan beat Barcelona four goals to nil making it one of the most prolific victories in the competition.

Factually Speaking

• Barcelona are defending champions. 
• Barcelona have already won the Spanish and European Super Cup. 
• Milan are Serie A champions. 
• The Red and Blacks are the second most successful team in Europe. 
• Milan have won a little less than double the number of European championships that Barcelona 
• Regardless of the outcome of this match, the two teams will remain favorites to advance from their group into the knockout stages of the tournament. 
• The two teams have met eleven times previously, winning four matches each and three stalemates. 

Milan Team News: The team is probably one of the best in Europe with world class players like Pato, Ibrahimovic, Nesta, Ambrosini, Boateng, Aquilani, Robinho and more. Mexes and Robinho will be unavailable due to injury and Gattuso will because he’s out on a four match ban (for his antics against Tottenham). Latest news is that Zlatan Ibrahimovic won’t be featuring in the game because of thigh injury and this could prove as a big blow to the Italian side.

Barcelona Team News: Barcelona’s team is nothing but world class. The weekend saw new signing Alexi s Sanchez out for eight weeks and centre back Pique will also be out. The team has got a boost as veteran captain Carles Puyol is back in the side and this is a very good thing for the Spanish side. 

We have an interesting match ahead of us. Let’s hope the Red and Blacks don’t use negative tactics and play football which is too defensive and frustrating to watch. We do not see AC Milan winning this one with their star strikers, Ibrahimovic and Robinho, out with injury and veteran Gattuso out with suspension added by the fact that captain Puyol is back and fit to start.

Prediction: Barcelona 3-0 AC Milan