Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri is looking on the bright side of facing Barcelona in the Champions League. “The route to the Final will be easier if we beat them…”
The Rossoneri were handed the most difficult of opponents in this morning’s draw for the quarter-finals. The winners will play Benfica or Chelsea in the semis.
Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri is looking on the bright side of facing Barcelona in the Champions League. “The route to the Final will be easier if we beat them…”
The Rossoneri were handed the most difficult of opponents in this morning’s draw for the quarter-finals. The winners will play Benfica or Chelsea in the semis.
“Let’s look at the positives,” Allegri stated this afternoon. “If we get past them then we’ll have a good chance of reaching the Final.
“Little changes really and we’ve already faced them. They are the strongest team in the world, but we have to believe. Milan will give their best.”
The two teams met in the group stages this term with the Nou Camp encounter ending 2-2, while Barcelona triumphed 3-2 at San Siro.
“We’ll have to attack them and be more focused. The two previous games against them have helped us to grow.
“We were good defensively in Spain, while we did well in the return too even if we lost.
“I hope to have all of my injured players back before we face Barcelona. However, for now, we have to think about tomorrow as a difficult game awaits us.
“We are at a decisive point of the championship where we can’t make any mistakes.
“The squad is not scared, but, I repeat, it is too soon to be thinking about Barca. We have Parma, the Italian Cup game against Juventus and then Roma first.”
The League leaders will be looking to maintain their four-point advantage over Juventus this weekend when they travel to Parma.
“I fear their attackers,” Allegri noted. “Sebastian Giovinco is doing some great things. They are organised and aggressive.
“Boss Roberto Donadoni did well at Napoli and at Cagliari. He’s proving what he is worth at Parma. He was hired during a tough moment but he’s given the team some character.”
Allegri again has injury problems to deal with ahead of the Stadio Tardini battle.
“Robinho has picked up a knock and he didn’t train yesterday. I should have Maxi Lopez available. I don’t know when Alexandre Pato will be back. He’ll have to undergo some tests.
“I need to make some decisions in defence – especially at left-back between Mesbah, Zambrotta and Antonini.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries. At the end of the season we’ll analyse all of them to understand where we have gone wrong.”