Date: 28 March 2012
Kick-off: 18:45:00 GMT
Venue: Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, San Siro
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
They may be well behind Real Madrid in the race to the La Liga title this season, but there'll be hardlyanyone who doesn't believe Barcelona are still the team to beat in Europe. Coming into this game on a run of 7 consecutive Liga victories, they will also be bouyed by the fact that they have been well nigh untouchable in the Champions League in the last few years, winning it in 2009 and 2011 and coming close on more occasions. And they will know very well what they are up against this time, having already taken on Milan in the group stages and marginally getting the better of them over the two legs.
Milan have had a good season, in that they are sitting top of the domestic league and are into the last 8 of the Champions League. But they won't be kidding themselves into believing they are favourites to win the trophy they last won in 2007. Arsenal came ever so close to wiping out a 4 goal deficit against them in the last round, and that showed that Milan clearly have a problem or two when it comes to stemming fast counter-attacks and even finishing off good chances at the other end. They will be hamstrung in the former department this time, with two of their most reliable defenders Thiago Silva and Ignazio Abate out injured. Also out is Mark van Bommel through suspension, which will hurt them a lot as he is undoubtedly one of the best defensive midfielders around.
