Carles Puyol has given Milan’s Champions League quarter-final second leg clash with his Barcelona side top billing.
Carles Puyol has given Milan’s Champions League quarter-final second leg clash with his Barcelona side top billing.
The two sides meet at Camp Nou on Tuesday night to determine a place in the semi-finals of the European competition. The Catalans are looking for a fifth successive semi-final, but are without an away goal advantage, having been held 0-0 at San Siro last week.
“This is the most important game of the year,” declared Puyol to the assembled media on Monday evening.
“It’s a final and there is no margin for error. Our idea is still to play our game, taking into account that we are facing a great team.
“They are dangerous. For this, we must play a great game to overcome every obstacle.
“The draw, unless it is 0-0, will condemn us, but we are playing at Camp Nou, where the public supports us from the first to the last minute. Sure, we will try to score in a hurry.
“It is complicated to manage it, but if we get ahead, we will go for more goals.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic again prepares to face his former employers, who he has been less-than complimentary about in a recent autobiography.
“He is one of the best strikers in the world, he is very difficult to fight against, but defending is the responsibility of the whole team. We must keep him out of the penalty area and ensure no good passes find him.”