Barcelona opens Champions League against AC Milan

Posted Tuesday, September 13, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

BARCELONA, Spain (AP)—Looking to put a domestic slip-up aside, Barcelona will open the defense of its Champions League title against an AC Milan team short on forwards with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho ruled out because of injury.

Real Sociedad rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with the Spanish champions on Saturday following weeks of speculation that Barcelona would face few challengers aside from Real Madrid as it vies for a fourth straight league title.

While Barcelona has started the season by winning the Spanish and European Super Cups, defensive lapses appear to be its foremost problem but Milan’s normally potent attack has been weakened.

Ibrahimovic’s anticipated return to the Camp Nou for the first time since his turbulent exit before last season will have to wait after the Sweden striker injured his hamstring in training. Robinho has yet to recover from a groin injury.

“He was very relaxed, he was very motivated to play this game, he didn’t have any problem in that sense,” said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri over whether Ibrahimovic feared returning to play in front of 90,000 spectators here.

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol should return for the first time since May after recovering from knee surgery, but Gerard Pique is out injured, leaving Eric Abidal to likely fill the other center back spot.

“What we’re looking for is to play well. The team is well but we’ll see how they react tomorrow,” Guardiola said. “Never before a game do we think “we are Barcelona and we can win this game,” neither against Sociedad or Milan. If we don’t approach the game in the right level mentally we can lose.”

Barcelona and Milan are favored to advance out of a group that also includes BATE Borisov of Belarus and Czech club Viktoria Plzen, who meet Tuesday in Prague.

Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara said his club’s intensity dropped in the second half of Saturday’s draw, showing that the team many are comparing with the all-time greats is not invincible.

“We can create great problems for them,” Allegri said. “To just defend against Barcelona is akin to suicide. You can’t just defend the area. You have to show courage, it’s the first game of the Champions League.”

Allegri suggested he would likely play only one attacker as he crowds the midfield, adding that Brazil striker Alexandre Pato and midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng would both start. That would leave Italy striker Antonio Cassano on the bench.

“I’m very curious to see what the team will do on the field tomorrow,” Allegri added through a translator.

Former Barcelona players Mark van Bommel and Gianluca Zambrotta also return to play their former club, with Van Bommel lining up against Xavi Hernandez and Iniesta for the first time since Spain’s 1-0 World Cup final victory over the Netherlands last year.

While that final in Johannesburg was remembered for the Dutch team’s bruising display, Milan knows Barcelona’s midfield must be held in check with Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets also to worry about.

“After the game you forget about it,” Van Bommel said, before offering a subtle warning to former teammate Iniesta, who was on the receiving end of most the Dutch’s fouls in South Africa. “Maybe tomorrow we see each other again on the pitch.”

Barcelona’s attack will be without Alexis Sanchez after the Chile forward injured his thigh against Sociedad.

Milan, which opened the season with a 2-2 draw with Lazio, may count on midfielder Gennaro Gattuso after an eye injury and Clarence Seedorf should also be available after sitting out the game against Lazio.

Barcelona is unbeaten in its last 10 Champions League games at the Camp Nou. In 11 prior meetings, including the 2006 semifinal series won by Barcelona, the pair have each won four times and drawn the other three matches.

Milan beat Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 Champions League final in Athens, with Guardiola part of the Barca team.