Following last weeks Clash of the Titans where Manchester United controversially fell to the might of Real Madrid, another two of Europe's biggest clubs will meet on the Champions League stage tonight. AC Milan will defend their 2 - 0 advantage from the first leg against FC Barcelona at Camp Nou.
Both sides came off the back of a 2 - 0 domestic victory against struggling opponents- Barca comfortably saw off Deportivo in game which Messi scored, and Milan beat Genoa away from home (Balotelli scored, again). So who is the momentum with then?
Barcelona currently sit comfortably at the top of La Liga with a 13 point lead over arch rivals Real Madrid. However, recent result (excluding the win at the weekend) have been disappointing and suggested a dip in form. This form could continue or, in stark contrast, could inspire Barca to go out and prove that they are still the world's greatest club team.
Then there is the revitalised AC Milan to consider. Following a poor start to the season which saw them in sixth position in Serie A, the Italian giants are now in scarily impressive form- they are yet to lose a game in 2013, both domestically or in Europe.
Many still favour Barcelona to go through, but when looking at AC Milan's recent results it is very difficult to see why. Sure Barcelona have been formidable in previous seasons and their squad still have a deep pool of talent (Messi and Iniesta came off the bench on Saturday), yet AC Milan proved in the first leg that they are no push-overs.
Buoyed with a renewed confidence from their form in Italy where they are now pushing for the 2nd spot and their stand-out performance against Barcelona last month, AC Milan will feel that they have the upper hand in this tie.
For us, AC Milan are the favourites for this clash that the world will be watching. Although they will be travelling to Camp Nou they have the experience to deal with the pressure. This season, in Europe atleast, teams seem better equipped and know how to defend against Barcelona's attacking prowess.
Milan will no doubt 'park the team bus' in their half and will definitely need a bit of luck but they could hold this tie to a goalless draw. Expect a performance simarly to that of Chelsea's last season against the same opponents.
Our prediction... 0 -0.
