Barcelona vs. AC Milan – Stat Attack
Barcelona will be facing the seven times European Champions AC Milan in the first match of the UEFA Champions League group stages. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604 are currently the champions of Europe and they will start defending their title from their home ground – the Nou
Camp – as they will face AC Milan in Catalonia on Tuesday.
Both the sides are the Champions of their domestic leagues. While Barcelona won the Spanish La Liga, AC Milan won the Italian Serie A last season.
The match between AC Milan and Barcelona is taking place exactly one hundred and ten days after the final at Wembley. The Premier League Champions, Manchester United were the opposition for the Catalan Giants on the night and the Spanish Champions won the
game 3-1 with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736 scoring one for Manchester United.
Barcelona and AC Milan met in the final of the UEFA Champions League back in 1994. The match took place in Athens and the Catalans were defeated 4-0 by the Italian side. The match went down in the history books as one of the greatest finals of the Champions
League as the legendary side made by Johan Cruyff met http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabio-c13152 Capello’s legendary Milan.
Another fixture between the two teams in the UEFA Champions League took place when Frank Rikjard was the head coach of Barcelona. The Catalans knocked AC Milan out in the Champions League semi final and the only goal scored during the two ties was by Ludovic
Giuly – a goal which he scored at the San Siro.
The last game between the two teams was back in 2010 when they both squared off in the Gamper Trophy. The match between the two teams ended 1-1 but Barcelona won as the game went on to penalties.
AC Milan have not been extraordinary in Europe recently. The Italian Champions have not qualified for the semi final stage since they last won the competition back in 2007.
On the other hand, Barcelona are on a great European run. Not only have Barcelona won the last final of the UEFA Champions League, they are also on an unbeaten run at the Nou Camp. Barcelona are currently unbeaten for the last ten games as they have won
the last nine games and drawn one.
Moreover, in the seventeen seasons of the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona have only lost one opening game of the European competition. On the other hand, Milan have been winning their opening Champions League game for the past ten years.
Barcelona will be meeting three of their former players during this game. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-c38029 have all played for Barcelona in the past.
Other players will also be meeting their former partners. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429.
The referee for this fixture is going to be Martin Atkinson. The English referee has been fielded in a lot of important games including the FA Cup final last season which took place between Manchester City and Stoke City.
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