Kick Off Time 7:45pm
Team News
AC Milan
- Mario Balotelli and Christian Abbiati suffered physical problems ahead of the encounter with Udinese and look likely skip this one as well.
- Gabriel started in Abbiati's absence, but as he's not in the Champions League list, Marco Amelia is set to start in goal.
- After netting another winner in the last match, Valter Birsa has probably gained a place in the starting XI despite Kakà's availability.
Barcelona
- Neymar and Lionel Messi will be flanked by Alexis Sanchez, meaning Pedro will be pushed to the bench.
- Tata Martino has called up 22 players, leaving out Ibrahim Afellay, Jordi Alba and, despite his availability, Isaac Cuenca.
- As Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta are all available, it is likely that one of the Spanish internationals will be dropped from the starting XI.
Match Facts
| Barcelona are undefeated in 9 of their last 10 matches against AC Milan in all competitions. | Barcelona win or draw 1.14 |
Prediction
- Milan will have just regained some of their confidence with the victory and clean sheet against Udinese. Still, injuries mean the Rossoneri will not be at full strength in the toughest fixture of the Group Stage.
- Barcelona were unable to break down a resolute Osasuna and had to settle with a draw, but the Blaugrana are recovering their key players, as Lionel Messi looks to be fully fit and captain Carles Puyol has returned to first-team duties.
- Milan met Barcelona in the previous two campaigns and managed to keep their European quest alive despite an inferior roster and their domestic struggles. This season, the gap appears even wider, with the Italian side struggling to emerge as a European superpower.
AC Milan
Barcelona
No comments:
Post a Comment