Updated on
Summary Both teams try to break the stalemate after a goalless draw in the first leg in Italy.
Barcelona prepared on Monday to go on the offensive in their Champions League quarter-final second leg against AC Milan on Tuesday (April 3). The blaugrana need to break down a resolute Milan defence who held them 0-0 at the San Siro last week.Barca coach Pep Guardiola highlighted the teams achievement as European champions.This is our biggest success. It shows how well this club has done for such a long time. It is a major succes, to be able to play a quarter final second leg match and having the possibility to play in the biggest European championship semifinals for fifth time in a row. It is probably one of those things I am most proud of, because it is the clubs success, and so many peoples, the 41 year-old Catalan said.World Player of the Year Lionel Mess was kept relatively quiet by his standards in Milan, but with 56 goals to his name in all competitions this season, Gradual joked with Italian journalists about writing him off.A player cannot beat a team on his own. A defence of eight or nine. And he cant either. But we must help him find his space. But you Italians, dont talk too loud, because if you keep on saying he doesnt score (against you) he (Leo Messi) will. Well, lets see who is right tomorrow.Messi, who has scored 12 goals in Europe this season, is one away from setting a new Champions League record.Barca captain Carles Puyol said to avoid mistakes to progress to the semifinals.Yes, I think it is the most important match because we have to win it if we want to go on in the Champions League. There is no chance for mistakes. It is a final. And that is always difficult to manage. But, as I said before, if we get some advantage our aim is to go on looking for goals because you can always suffer with a 1-0. So we will attack, but we will also be aware, he said.Holders Barcelona are bidding to join Real Madrid as only the second club to have reached a fifth consecutive semi-final in Europes elite club competition.Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri pointed out the importance of the match and said the winner would be close to the title.This is a historic game. It is always fascinating when Barcelona and AC Milan play. This is a very important stage and I would expect the one who wins tomorrow to be very close to the final, he said.AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini, agreed with Guardiola and said his team would have to play as a team in order to stop the Argentine striker.Messi is an absolutely unpredictable player once hes got the ball. As I said before, I cant think of stopping him alone. He is a changing player, so we will have to play him as a team, he said.
Featured
