Champions League holders Barcelona begin the defence of their title with a trick- looking tie at home to Serie A giants AC Milan
Barca kick off defence of title with tie against Italian champions
Champions League holders Barcelona begin the defence of their title with a tricky looking tie at home to Serie A giants AC Milan
With 11 Champions League titles between the two sides, this Group H clash is not the sort of game we expect to see in the opening round of group games.
With a further seven final appearances between them - including Milan's 4-0 romp over Barca in 1994 - it is clear this match-up carries with it more lustre than many of the other games taking place across Europe this week.
Following May's Wembley glory against Manchester United Barca boss Pep Guardiola begins this year's European campaign knowing no side has won back-to-back titles since Tuesday's opponents Milan in 1989 and 1990.
But for a side widely considered the best in the world at present, it is a challenge they appear well capable of matching.
Milan won the last of their seven titles in 2007 when they beat Liverpool in Athens. But they have failed to get past the first knockout round since - failing to even qualify in 2008 - which perhaps symbolises the relative decline in Italian football over the past few years.
They go into this game therefore as underdogs, though in a group also containing minnows BATE Borisov and Viktoria Plzen, qualification through to the next stage should be a formality for these European giants.
Courage
Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has urged his side to 'play with courage' at the Camp Nou as they bid to improve on a run of just two wins in their last 13 Champions League games.
They have also failed to score in their last three Champions League matches - two of those against Spurs in last year's first knockout round. Never before have the Rossoneri drawn a blank four games in a row in Europe's premier competition.
After the start to the domestic campaign was delayed Allegri's men belatedly began the defence of their Serie A title with a 2-2 draw against Lazio on Friday.
Barcelona also drew 2-2 last weekend, though Guardiola will be looking for a reaction from his players after they let a two-goal lead slip against Real Sociedad.
They will also seek to carry on a run that has seen them score in their last 21 Champions League games, stretching all the way back to November 2009. They are helped, of course, by the irrepressible Lionel Messi, top scorer in the competition for the last three years.
Former Barca striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the chance to play against his old club after being ruled out with an adductor injury.
Midfielder Gennaro Gattuso limped off during the Lazio game but is suspended in Europe for four games anyway following his infamous head-butt of Tottenham assistant boss Joe Jordan last season. Mark van Bommel is expected to replace him in midfield.
Summer signing Philippe Mexes is also absent through both injury and suspension.
Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez will miss the clash after being ruled out for up to two months with a hamstring injury suffered against Real Sociedad.
Gerard Pique has not played since the Spanish Super Cup win over Real Madrid last month and will again miss out. Carles Puyol though returned to the bench at the weekend and is expected to make a return to the starting line-up.
