PEP GUARDIOLA BELIEVES Barcelona will need two ‘excellent’ games to knock AC Milan out of the Champions League.
Despite going into their quarter-final first leg clash on Wednesday heavy favourites, Barca coach Guardiola insisted Milan, ‘one of the best teams in the world’, would pose all manner of problems.
“San Siro is one of the great stadiums in European football and AC Milan is one of the best teams in the world,” he told the club’s website. ”In the quarter-finals of a competition like this, with an opponent like this one, you must be aware that have to play two excellent games or you won’t go through.”
Of the threats, Guardiola earmarked former Barca marksman Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the player who needed to be nullified.
“They have great combative play, they’re good in the air, and they dominate long passes, thanks to Ibrahimovic. When he receives the ball, the whole offensive mechanism of the team snaps into play,” he said.
“He’s unbeatable in the air. We must try to deactivate him and AC Milan through ball possession.”
Guardiola talks up Milan’s strengths ahead of European showdown…
PEP GUARDIOLA BELIEVES Barcelona will need two ‘excellent’ games to knock AC Milan out of the Champions League.
Despite going into their quarter-final first leg clash on Wednesday heavy favourites, Barca coach Guardiola insisted Milan, ‘one of the best teams in the world’, would pose all manner of problems.
Many have written off the Italian giants, including round-of-16 conqueror Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, but Guardiola warned the tie would not be decided in Milan tonight.
“San Siro is one of the great stadiums in European football and AC Milan is one of the best teams in the world,” he told the club’s website. ”In the quarter-finals of a competition like this, with an opponent like this one, you must be aware that have to play two excellent games or you won’t go through.”
Of the threats, Guardiola earmarked former Barca marksman Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the player who needed to be nullified.
“They have great combative play, they’re good in the air, and they dominate long passes, thanks to Ibrahimovic. When he receives the ball, the whole offensive mechanism of the team snaps into play,” he said.
“He’s unbeatable in the air. We must try to deactivate him and AC Milan through ball possession.”
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Arsene Wenger Barcelona Champions League Pep Guardiola Milan UEFA