AC Milan vs FC Barcelona (1st leg CL)

Wednesday 20th of Feb
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
20:45 CET 19:45 GMT 14:45 EST

Expected line up:

Valdes
Alves - Pique - Puyol - Alba
Xavi - Busi - Cesc
Pedro - Messi - Iniesta

Iniesta on the wing probably again.

will xavi play for sure?
I'd love MVP up front but it's not gonna happen

Hey guys please give my latest article a read:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1533698-drogba-iniesta-and-the-5-players-to-watch-this-week-in-the-champions-league

I think we'll go with:


However, chances are Xavi or Villa will be fit.

Villa and Adriano are out for precaution.

I suppose we'll go with Alfred's lineup, but I would prefer Alexis or Tello to play in LW and Thiago/Cesc + Iniesta in midfield.

Even Milan is at a low moment, I think it will be difficult as Italian teams are always hard to beat. Plus, we always find it hard at 1/8 final first leg.
I think the most likely result is a tie.

All the reports I've read claimed that Xavi will be fit by the Milan match. Villa should be as well, but probably won't start.

I am hoping for a score draw, maybe 1-1 or 2-2. 0-0 would be a disappointing result.

I think for us, we will go with Iniesta in this free role vacating the leftside...which will make it easier for them in both attack and defence.

Abate will be free all the time to break our pressing and give Alba problems the other way.

Then again, I wouldnt be surprised if we barely press anyway.

I am somewhat pessimistic about this, I really do have some worries.

Adriano and Villa not fit enough to make the list:

Valdés, Pinto, Dani Alves, Piqué, Fàbregas, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi, Thiago, Mascherano, Bartra, Sergio, Pedro, Jordi Alba, Montoya, Song, Tello y Oier

I have a feeling that we will walk it.
Stupid I know, as Milan is always Milan but my gut feeling is that we will dominate.
Anyway if we don’t I will said that I said it was just a stupid feeling.
But if we do….

BarcaKizz wrote:Hey guys please give my latest article a read:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1533698-drogba-iniesta-and-the-5-players-to-watch-this-week-in-the-champions-league

I think we'll go with:

Valdes
Alves Pique Puyol Alba
Thiago Busquets Cesc
Pedro Messi Iniesta

However, chances are Xavi or Villa will be fit.

Nice read Kizz, though I believe that Walcott rather than Wilshere is the player for Arsenal we should watch out for.

If Bayern are going to dominate, they will expose themselves to him on the counter attack.

Villa out for precaution but not Xavi Just doesn't sound right... Hoping for a draw though a win would be great.

I didn't have any worries when the draw was made, but now I am a bit more worried, especially with some recent performances and how Milan have improved.

I don't think it will be easy, but I think we'll still win 2-0 or 1-0. I think this Barca team has too much quality for Milan. Or so I hope.

I would not be surprised at all to see us concede, but I don't see Milan not conceding either, so as long as we win the battle of conceding less, I think we'll be in a good position. And tbh that's a battle I see us winning.

I am not worried, we are Barcelona this season despite having a rocky start in the beginning is shaping out well

Milan are an improving side and can definately trouble us with edging a win. Prefer if we draw that it isn't a 0-0 draw rather a goal each or two.

CBarca wrote:I didn't have any worries when the draw was made, but now I am a bit more worried, especially with some recent performances and how Milan have improved.

I don't think it will be easy, but I think we'll still win 2-0 or 1-0. I think this Barca team has too much quality for Milan. Or so I hope.

I would not be surprised at all to see us concede, but I don't see Milan not conceding either, so as long as we win the battle of conceding less, I think we'll be in a good position. And tbh that's a battle I see us winning.

Have to remember, there form has improved a ton...since Balo appeared. And he is cup tied. So, the reason they are playing better will not feature. I think we can get it done. It's essentially a super nerfed team from the one we played 4 times last year and came out on top. No Thiago Silva, Nesta, Ibra, Pato and his speed. Seedorf or Gatuso. No Balo. I'd be seriously upset if Barca doesn't end this shit in the first leg

windkick wrote:

CBarca wrote:I didn't have any worries when the draw was made, but now I am a bit more worried, especially with some recent performances and how Milan have improved.

I don't think it will be easy, but I think we'll still win 2-0 or 1-0. I think this Barca team has too much quality for Milan. Or so I hope.

I would not be surprised at all to see us concede, but I don't see Milan not conceding either, so as long as we win the battle of conceding less, I think we'll be in a good position. And tbh that's a battle I see us winning.

Have to remember, there form has improved a ton...since Balo appeared. And he is cup tied. So, the reason they are playing better will not feature. I think we can get it done. It's essentially a super nerfed team from the one we played 4 times last year and came out on top. No Thiago Silva, Nesta, Ibra, Pato and his speed. Seedorf or Gatuso. No Balo. I'd be seriously upset if Barca doesn't end this shit in the first leg

Yes, but they also got some improvements, like el Sharawy, Montolivo or De Sciglio (who I think is injured).
As you say, we played them 4 times last year and won them comfortably and they were a better team while we were worse than this year, so we should qualify easily. But it's a top italian team and that always makes it difficult.

It would be nice, however, to pay Milan back for the Athens 4-0. I'd love a footballing humiliation.

Milan 0 - 2 Barca

i would like to have your optimism billy_gr, but i think it will be tougher than we expect. milan has caught a bit of moral "momentum" with Balo and will have nothing to loose. This can make them dangerous! I would be happy even with high scoring draw (2-2, 3-3) though i think the team should pull a win.

Ses to outshine Messi

Cotes wrote:Ses to outshine Messi

Don't think so.

Why rivalries in Italy are so shit? As a Juve fan, you should be supporting us vs. Milan.

free_cat wrote:

Cotes wrote:Ses to outshine Messi

Don't think so.

Why rivalries in Italy are so shit? As a Juve fan, you should be supporting us vs. Milan.

As a supporter of Serie A he should support the Italian teams out there fighting for coefficient points.

Rivalries in Italy are shit? It seems that every Clasico it becomes more of a snoozefest, right now the top 6 in Serie A are fighting for CL spots and the Scudetto, La Liga is done and dusted, dont see what the point of rivalries are when there's nothing to battle for

El Shaarawy wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Cotes wrote:Ses to outshine Messi

Don't think so.

Why rivalries in Italy are so shit? As a Juve fan, you should be supporting us vs. Milan.

As a supporter of Serie A he should support the Italian teams out there fighting for coefficient points.

Rivalries in Italy are shit? It seems that every Clasico it becomes more of a snoozefest, right now the top 6 in Serie A are fighting for CL spots and the Scudetto, La Liga is done and dusted, dont see what the point of rivalries are when there's nothing to battle for

Supporter of "Serie A"? You've got to be kidding. There's no such thing as a supporter of X League. Leagues don't compete with each other in any competition so you can't support a league.

Sure, Clascios are snoozefests, when they've been the most heated and thrilling big games in the last years.

free_cat wrote:

El Shaarawy wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Don't think so.

Why rivalries in Italy are so shit? As a Juve fan, you should be supporting us vs. Milan.

As a supporter of Serie A he should support the Italian teams out there fighting for coefficient points.

Rivalries in Italy are shit? It seems that every Clasico it becomes more of a snoozefest, right now the top 6 in Serie A are fighting for CL spots and the Scudetto, La Liga is done and dusted, dont see what the point of rivalries are when there's nothing to battle for

Supporter of "Serie A"? You've got to be kidding. There's no such thing as a supporter of X League. Leagues don't compete with each other in any competition so you can't support a league.

Sure, Clascios are snoozefests, when they've been the most heated and thrilling big games in the last years.

As a fan of a Serie A team, he supports us so we can get more CL spots and better the Serie A reputation.

free_cat wrote:

Cotes wrote:Ses to outshine Messi

Don't think so.

Why rivalries in Italy are so shit? As a Juve fan, you should be supporting us vs. Milan.

The rivalry between Milan and Juve is only something which is created by the media.The 'real' longterm rivalry Juve has had has always been with Inter,they are Juve's mortal enemy.The games between Juve and Inter is known as Derby of Italy for a reason.

By the way its not only the fans but there are coaches and presidents of the league who root for Italian teams in Europe because they all want the league to claw its way back to the top and that can only be done by earning co-efficient points.

I'm completely neutral for this game.And there's no rule that i have to support one or the other in a football match,like this for example.

El Shaarawy wrote:

free_cat wrote:

El Shaarawy wrote:

As a supporter of Serie A he should support the Italian teams out there fighting for coefficient points.

Rivalries in Italy are shit? It seems that every Clasico it becomes more of a snoozefest, right now the top 6 in Serie A are fighting for CL spots and the Scudetto, La Liga is done and dusted, dont see what the point of rivalries are when there's nothing to battle for

Supporter of "Serie A"? You've got to be kidding. There's no such thing as a supporter of X League. Leagues don't compete with each other in any competition so you can't support a league.

Sure, Clascios are snoozefests, when they've been the most heated and thrilling big games in the last years.

As a fan of a Serie A team, he supports us so we can get more CL spots and better the Serie A reputation.

Ridiculous.