PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Barcelona (4-1-2-3): Valdes; Alves, Puyol, Abidal, Adriano; Busquets; Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Villa

AC Milan (4-3-1-2): Abbiati; Abate, Nesta, Silva, Antonini; Nocerino, van Bommel, Aquilani; Boateng; Cassano, Ibrahimovic

AC Milan coach Massimo Allegri has urged his side to "play with courage'' when they face holders Barcelona in tomorrow night's Champions League opener.

A match which historically would pit two of football's superpowers against each other takes place at the Nou Camp with the sides no longer on a level playing field following the decline of Italian football.

Milan head to Catalonia as Serie A champions but Allegri concedes they will be underdogs against the side recognised as the best in the world at present.

"We're ready to play this game, a game of great prestige and the first in the Champions League this season,'' he told reporters.

"We're going to try to make a good start and be balanced in defence and attack. Right now, they are the team playing the best football, they have the highest quality - both individually and as a team - but we have our own quality, we're a good team.

"We're AC Milan, so we must play with courage. In football, you can never take anything for granted.

"There will be a lot of attention on the match and we must have great respect for Barcelona. But we have qualities to make it a good football game.

"We'll go with peace of mind. Tomorrow is not a final, it's the first game of the round. It's against a team who have recently won a lot but our goal is to go through.''

Asked about Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return to the Nou Camp following his bittersweet spell in 2009-10, Allegri said: "He's proved himself and he's proving he can be a champion on the big stage.''

Allegri confirmed he will make changes from the side which drew 2-2 with Lazio in Friday's Serie A opener and will choose between Antonio Cassano and Alexandre Pato to partner Ibrahimovic up front.

Makeshift Barcelona defender Sergio Busquets has urged his Barcelona team-mates to use tomorrow's match to bounce back from Saturday's league disappointment.

Barca let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 with Real Sociedad in their second Primera Division game of the season at the weekend, with holding midfielder Busquets operating in central defence at the Anoeta.

He admitted: "Morale is not the best today but we'll give a reaction.

"Milan is another game, another competition, and we'll go for it. With the help and support of our fans we'll make it a great night in the Champions League.

"Milan have great players, especially up front. Ibrahimovic, Pato, Robinho and Cassano are very dangerous and we'll have to keep an eye on them.''

Barca boss Pep Guardiola is still without first-choice central defensive pair Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique while forward Alexis Sanchez is out for eight weeks with a hamstring tear.



Match

Ibra injured, will miss the match.
We won't get the chance to see Ibracadabra vs The Philosopher.

up barca
am waiting for manita
Messi with brace

ibet madrid wilwin this macth

Barça line-up:
Valdes, Alves, Busquets, Mascherano, Abidal, Keita, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Messi and Pedro

AC Milan line- up: Abbiati, Nesta, Zambrotta, Abate, T. Silva, Van Bommel,Seedorf, Nocerino, Boateng, Pato,
Cassano.

not looking good @ all.

Pato just scored one of the fastest goals in UCL history. FC Barcelona nil, AC Milan 1

where can i watch the match online??

fox sports is dulling me with arsenal match

Dvampire:

Pato just scored one of the fastest goals in UCL history. FC Barcelona nil, AC Milan 1

Roy Makaay - 10 seconds. Fastest goal in CL history.

1- 1

Barca has not been inspiring so far (partly due to the early goal).

Now Ini is out. Na wa o! Fab has to come in, maybe Thiago too eventually.

^^^

damn!! i knew iniesta was injury prone, thats y he was not a starter in the weekend,

abeg where can i watch this match online,

Barcelona is a collection of whiny fragile man-boys who love to dive .I hope they get exposed tonight

As good as the Barcelona philosophy is, i think Messi makes it look extraordinary.
this Barca team is human and very beatable bar Messi.

kabukabu:

Barcelona is a collection of whiny fragile man-boys who love to dive .I hope they get exposed tonight

i'd rather have whiny fragile man-boys in my football 'diving' if you would than a bunch of bullies turning my football into rugby.

kobikwelu:

^^^

damn!! i knew iniesta was injury prone, thats y he was not a starter in the weekend,

abeg where can i watch this match online,

Ini hasn't had a major injury for over a year & his injury tonight didn't look very bad either.

kabukabu:

Barcelona is a collection of whiny fragile man-boys who love to dive   .I hope they get exposed tonight

Watch Barca vs ManU again & see how "fragile' the Barca players looked. Which team do you support? Let's see them play against the "fragile man-boys" & chop some sand.

mbulela:

As good as the Barcelona philosophy is, i think Messi makes it look extraordinary.
this Barca team is human and very beatable bar Messi.

Messi would make any team extraordinary. Just like Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo (R9) did in their days. Is Barca ordinary without Messi? Would ManU be weaker without Rooney or Madrid without Ronaldo or Inter without Sneijder? We can debate till tomorrow - what matters is that Messi is Barca's so they have every right to win with him & we can forget the academic debates.

medjai:

Roy Makaay - 10 seconds. Fastest goal in CL history.

I thought so too - don't know why these English commentators are calling Pato's the fastest in history.

Stealthy:

Let's see them play against the "fragile man-boys" & chop some sand.

barca fans and bragging  , una go see am this season oh

mukina2:

barca fans and bragging  ,  una go see am this season oh

bragging have you heard a thing or two about bragging rights? you dont just pick them up, you earn them.

Barca 2 milan 1

Normal service resumes. To imagine that I was just dissing Villa. lovely freekick!

mukina2:

barca fans and bragging  ,  una go see am this season oh

I wasn't bragging, just responding to a ludicrous post. But when you support the best team in the world, youre allowed some bragging rights, true?

the score line here doesnt reflect what is really going on in this game. this is completely a one sided contest.

You just have to love that Pato goal.
He beat everyone for speed, his turn was excellent. Lovely goal. Punished the centre backs well.

tarzan is back!

ddippset:

i'd rather have whiny fragile man-boys in my football 'diving' if you would than a bunch of bullies turning my football into rugby.

Hold your horses,nitwit
I said Barca , not "all football teams", your brain must be on autopilot.

enjoy good football everybody.

Last time I checked football is a contact sport,barca plays like a bunch of little girls, breathe on messi's neck and he jumps into the air like he was shot by a sniper

kabukabu:

Hold your horses,nitwit
I said Barca , not "all football teams", your brain must be on autopilot.

WHY R U CURSING? I COULD EQUIP MY 12 YEAR OLD KID BROTHER WITH A DICTIONARY TO RESPOND TO YOU, BUT I WONT. JUST ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME AND DONT DISS ON BARCA OR ANY OTHER TEAM.

Tarzan looks a little rusty.
Afellay comes on for Villa.

anybody that is permuttating what barca would have been without messi is simpply jealous,

what would madrid have been without di-stefano?? (by the way, they won approx 6 ucl titles during his time)

the point is, scout for the best talent !!

and if u get him, its ur luck