- Title: ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Allegri knows what to do against "dangerous" Barcelona
- Date: 19th February 2013
- Summary: MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 19, 2013) (REUTERS) MEDIA AT STADIUM GATES MEDIA AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE AC MILAN COACH MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI TAKES SEAT AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) AC MILAN COACH, MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI, SAYING: "In the last two years we have played well against Barcelona, we played well in the quarter-final last year at home against Barcelona. We know that at the moment they are the best team in the world but we have to try and create the elements to go through to the next round. We know the difficulties that we are going to encounter because Barcelona are the team at the moment that statistically when they play against Milan, when they play against Real Madrid, whoever they play against they have an average of 65 percent possession. We have to try and limit their possession, making them less dangerous because they are so dangerous when they go forward, they have good players." CAMERAMEN NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) AC MILAN COACH, MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI, SAYING: "(Lionel) Messi is a football player who can make a real difference but not just him because also I think (Andres) Iniesta is one of the best playmakers in the world, he's an extraordinary player so they are players who will create lots of possibilities. It's normal that we will need to be very good and mark them well and try to limit their best qualities." PHOTOGRAPHER ALLEGRI LEAVES AT THE END OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF ALLEGRI SPEAKING TO PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH WIDE OF PLAYERS AT TRAINING SESSION VARIOUS OF MILAN PLAYERS TRAINING STRIKER MARIO BALOTELLI PASSES THE BALL FORWARD STEPHAN EL SHAARAWAY KICKS A BALL MORE OF PLAYERS TRAINING DEFENDER MARIO YEPES CHASING THE BALL
- Embargoed: 6th March 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- City:
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVABGEJYHUCC3UVYI4L26TX8Y89A
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- Story Text: AC Milan Coach Massimiliano Allegri is confident his team can perform well against a "dangerous" Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League.
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Tuesday (February 19) that his team know exactly what they have to do if they are to beat Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 tie.
The two teams meet in the first leg at the San Siro on Wednesday (February 20) and despite not having their marquee signing Mario Balotelli, who is cup tied, Allegri feels his team can beat Barcelona provided they limit the Spaniards' time on the ball.
"In the last two years we have played well against Barcelona, we played well in the quarter-final last year at home against Barcelona," Allegri told reporters. "We know that at the moment they are the best team in the world but we have to try and create the elements to go through to the next round.
"We know the difficulties that we are going to encounter because Barcelona are the team at the moment that statistically when they play against Milan, when they play against Real Madrid, whoever they play against they have an average of 65 percent possession. We have to try and limit their possession, making them less dangerous because they are so dangerous when they go forward, they have good players."
Milan met Barcelona in the group stage and quarter-finals last season and failed to win any of their four matches, with two draws and two wins for the Catalans.
Since then Milan were forced to hold a firesale of their top players to try and balance the books at the end of last season, with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Thiago Silva among those to leave.
Alexandre Pato has also left since Milan were eliminated by the same opponents in the quarter-finals just under a year ago.
Milan seem to have struggled to come to terms with their new reality - a reflection of the difficulties facing Serie A where clubs can no longer compete with the financial clout of other top European leagues.
At times Milan have been happy to play the role of underdogs, with President Silvio Berlusconi and coach Massimiliano Allegri emphasising they are now a young team building for a financially sustainable future.
But Allegri continued to be bullish during the news conference. Barcelona's talisman Lionel Messi is looking to score for the 15th consecutive game and Allegri acknowledged the threat posed by not only the four-times Ballons d'Or winner but also Andres Iniesta and said his team know their roles in trying to quell the Catalans.
"(Lionel) Messi is a football player who can make a real difference but not just him because also I think (Andres) Iniesta is one of the best playmakers in the world, he's an extraordinary player so they are players who will create lots of possibilities. It's normal that we will need to be very good and mark them well and try to limit their best qualities."
Things have certainly changed since Milan outclassed Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 final.
The Italians have won only one of 10 meetings since then, a 1-0 win at San Siro in 2004, and none of the last seven.
The teams have twice met in the knockout stages with Barcelona winning 3-1 on aggregate in last season's quarter-finals and 1-0 on aggregate in the 2005/06 semi-final on their way to winning the title.
Without Balotelli, who has scored four goals in three games since his move from Manchester City, Milan's hopes of reversing that sequence would appear to be minimal despite an impressive domestic run which has seeN them climb to third in Serie A.
Barcelona, meanwhile have midfielder Xavi back in the squad after missing the last two games but David Villa will not make the trip as he is still recovering from kidney stones.
AC Milan: 32-Christian Abbiati; 20-Ignazio Abate, 17-Mario Yepes, 5-Philippe Mexes, 21-Kevin Constant; 8-Antonio Nocerino, 10-Kevin-Prince Boateng, 18-Riccardo Montolivo, 4-Sulley Muntari; 11-Giampaolo Pazzini, 92-Stephan El Shaaraway.
Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 2-Dani Alves, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 18-Jordi Alba; 6-Xavi, 16-Sergio Busquets, 8-Andres Iniesta; 4-Cesc Fabregas, 10-Lionel Messi, 17-Pedro. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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