ac milan

Tuesday’s painful Spanish Cup KO, Barça face Real Madrid again, this time in a League competition they are dominating - leading their great rivals by 16 points – a situation that leads Roura to insist on an optimistic message. The FC Barcelona coach is fully confident in his players’ “admirable attitude” ahead of Saturday’s match, which he reckons is: “a very important game”. “The League is the top prize and a good result on Saturday will be a great step forward”, he added. Furthermore, Roura admitted: “against Milan and Madrid we were not as inspired as usual, but that is no cause for pessimism”.

The Spanish Cup champions from the last two seasons meet this evening (21.00 CET) at the Camp Nou in the second leg of the Cup semi-finals, after the two teams drew 1-1 in Madrid. Barça Manager, Jordi Roura has a full squad available, whilst Iker Casillas is missing for the visitors. The clasico’s result at the Camp Nou could have a big effect on both side’s morale ahead of their upcoming Champions League games.

Speaking to the media after Monday’s training session, FC Barcelona Manager, Jordi Roura, insisted: “the team is really focussed and determined to get into another final”. On Tuesday FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will play the second leg of the Spanish Cup semi-final. Roura also reminded everyone that Barça’s style is non-negotiable: “we will be going out to win from the off”.

Goals from Villa and Messi at the start of the second half gave Barça a confidence boosting win after Botia had given Seville a first half lead. In the end, Barça took three more points in the chase for the Spanish League title and gave themselves a good result ahead of the upcoming games against Real Madrid, at the Spanish Cup, and AC Milan, at the Champions League. Barça made six changes from the team who started against AC Milan, with Montoya in at left back and Villa starting up front for the first time since his illness.

Two second half goals from Boateng and Muntari at San Siro have left Barça with a mountain to climb in the second leg of the Champions League’s last 16. The clash of titans at the San Siro has ended with AC Milan celebrating their 2-0 win over FC Barcelona as if they had won the title. The Barça forwards failed to create a single clear-cut opportunity and in defence allowed Milan to take practically the only two real chances they had in the entire game. On the 12th of March, FC Barcelona will be looking for yet another magnificent night in front of their own fans to turn around a tie that currently sees them in a very tricky situation indeed.

Milan is the venue for tonight’s Champions League second round match (20.45 CET) in which Barça will be without either of the injured Villa and Adriano. The ‘rossoneri’ and ‘blaugrana’ have eleven European Cups between them. Both teams are in excellent form going into tonight’s encounter at the San Siro.

Two second half goals from Leo Messi turned the result round after Ighalo had put a brave Granada ahead and gave Barça three more points in their title bid. With the World Number One leading the team though, Barça put in an impeccable second half performance and set things up nicely for Wednesday’s trip to San Siro, when the Catalans will be playing AC Milan at the Champions League last 16 first leg.

FC Barcelona go to Granada on Saturday for the first in a marathon series of five games in 14 days, including massive matches with Milan in the European Champions League and Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup. The Manager has said in the press conference before the Granada vs. FC Barcelona game that “we are in comfortable position in the league but that should be no excuse for any kind of relaxation”. “We’re into the nice part of the season when in a few days there are lots of things at stake. In terms of fitness and morale this is a good moment for us” commented Roura.

Barça will face the same team they met in the last season’s quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League. Winners of seven European Cups, the Italian giants are currently immersed in a generational changeover and not challenging for the Serie A title. Historic figures such as Seedorf, Gattuso, Nesta and Inzaghi all left this summer, and Thiago Silva and Ibrahimovic were sold to PSG. El Shaarawy is the main threat and Bojan the most familiar face for Barça fans.

Barça have beaten AC Milan in style to extend their legend by becoming the first team to qualify for five consecutive semi finals in the Champions League era. Messi, with two penalties, and Iniesta got the Barça goals.

Barça need to beat AC Milan at the Camp Nou in order to qualify for the semi finals of the Champions League for the fifth consecutive season. FC Barcelona will only make it into the semi finals if they beat AC Milan at the Camp Nou (20.45h CET). 88% of the home results this season would be enough to ensure Barça go into the last four.

Barça took a 0-0 draw from Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday evening - leaving the return game at the Camp Nou to decide who gets through to the Champions League semi-final. AC Milan were hemmed into their own half, especially before the break and at the end of the game.

The Catalan Manager believes that the AC Milan vs FC Barcelona Champions League quarter-final match will test Barça’s resolve “to perform well in another tie”. He hopes to “have long spells of ball possession” to deactivate Ibrahimovic and the Italian’s offensive play, as they are “one of the best teams in the world”.

The Barça manager reckons the real tests are only about to begin, in all of the Champions League, Spanish League and Cup. From now on, he warns, “there is no turning the page after any setbacks.” He also feels that it will be of benefit to everybody that the return leg of the Champions League quarter final against AC Milan will be at the Camp Nou. Besides, Guardiola said on Abidal that right now nothing is more important than “finding a solution to the illness he’s suffering so that he can carry on with his life”.

Goals from Van Bommel (o.g.), Messi (pen), and Xavi, defeated AC Milan in a fantastic match, and Barça come away from the San Siro Stadium with the first place in the group mathematically secure. Ibrahimovic and Boateng twice leveled the score, which could have been greater in Barça’s favour.