AC Milan counting on San Siro factor

MILAN – AC Milan believe the San Siro crowd can roar them to the Champions League final as they look to overturn a 3-2 deficit against Manchester United here tonight.

United edged the first leg of a pulsating semi-final at Old Trafford, but Milan’s two away goals, both scored by Brazilian talent Kaka, means a 1-0 win will be enough for the Italian side to reach the Athens showpiece on May 23. Milan’s tenacious midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who has been passed fit to play after recovering from the foot injury he suffered in the first leg, is counting on the home support to be their 12th man.”Our fans are always there for us and they always cheer us on,” said the 29-year-old Italian World Cup winner.”This time it’s special though, as they need to give us an incredible hand.We will give our all, but they must take us even further.”Clarence Seedorf, Gattuso’s midfield partner, believes the Milan crowd will not let them down.”Our fans are even more passionate than we are,” said the Dutchman, the only player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs.”The United fans were great at Old Trafford, but ours will be even better.It will be a San Siro unlike any other occasion.”Milan captain Paolo Maldini is battling to be fit after aggravating the knee injury at Old Trafford which forced him to come off at half time.Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has hinted he will drop striker Alberto Gilardino, anonymous in the first leg, in favour of veteran penalty box predator Filippo Inzaghi.”Gilardino has only scored one goal in the Champions League and that highlights the difference between that competition and the league,” Ancelotti said.”There’s more pressure on strikers to score in the Champions League, and Gilardino is not experienced enough yet to cope with it.”United come into the match on a real high after moving five points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premiership on Saturday with just three games to go, and having reached the FA Cup final.”We are in a magnificent situation and we go to the San Siro with our morale sky high,” said United coach Sir Alex Ferguson after his side fought back from 2-0 down at Everton to win 4-2 on Saturday.Ferguson has demanded the same tigerish aggression from Paul Scholes, despite the threat of the Manchester United midfielder sitting out a second Champions League final through suspension.Scholes goes into the second leg knowing a yellow card will rule him out of the final if Ferguson’s side win through.And that would mean an agonising repeat of the set of circumstances that forced the former England international to miss United’s 1999 Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich.”We have to think of the team, and Paul has to make sure he doesn’t get booked, that’s without question,” Ferguson said.”The advice we gave him in the first leg was not to slide in and make tackles because that’s where he gets all his bookings.”In Europe, they just don’t accept it, sliding in.So if he stays on his feet and tackles properly he won’t be no problem.”You can’t have a player in the semi-finals of the European Cup and say to him don’t tackle.”Ferguson accepts his injury-ridden defence will struggle to deny Milan in their own stadium, but he has backed his own side to score at least once.”I don’t agree with the view that it is vital we don’t go over there and concede,” he added.”I wouldn’t say we are favourites, but I think we have given ourselves a great chance.A goal lead is a great start in European football, and I think there will be good counter-attack possibilities in our side.”Milan are aiming to reach their 10th European Cup/Champions League final and United their third.Nampa-AFPMilan’s tenacious midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who has been passed fit to play after recovering from the foot injury he suffered in the first leg, is counting on the home support to be their 12th man.”Our fans are always there for us and they always cheer us on,” said the 29-year-old Italian World Cup winner.”This time it’s special though, as they need to give us an incredible hand.We will give our all, but they must take us even further.”Clarence Seedorf, Gattuso’s midfield partner, believes the Milan crowd will not let them down.”Our fans are even more passionate than we are,” said the Dutchman, the only player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs.”The United fans were great at Old Trafford, but ours will be even better.It will be a San Siro unlike any other occasion.”Milan captain Paolo Maldini is battling to be fit after aggravating the knee injury at Old Trafford which forced him to come off at half time.Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has hinted he will drop striker Alberto Gilardino, anonymous in the first leg, in favour of veteran penalty box predator Filippo Inzaghi.”Gilardino has only scored one goal in the Champions League and that highlights the difference between that competition and the league,” Ancelotti said.”There’s more pressure on strikers to score in the Champions League, and Gilardino is not experienced enough yet to cope with it.”United come into the match on a real high after moving five points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premiership on Saturday with just three games to go, and having reached the FA Cup final.”We are in a magnificent situation and we go to the San Siro with our morale sky high,” said United coach Sir Alex Ferguson after his side fought back from 2-0 down at Everton to win 4-2 on Saturday.Ferguson has demanded the same tigerish aggression from Paul Scholes, despite the threat of the Manchester United midfielder sitting out a second Champions League final through suspension.Scholes goes into the second leg knowing a yellow card will rule him out of the final if Ferguson’s side win through.And that would mean an agonising repeat of the set of circumstances that forced the former England international to miss United’s 1999 Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich.”We have to think of the team, and Paul has to make sure he doesn’t get booked, that’s without question,” Ferguson said.”The advice we gave him in the first leg was not to slide in and make tackles because that’s where he gets all his bookings.”In Europe, they just don’t accept it, sliding in.So if he stays on his feet and tackles properly he won’t be no problem.”You can’t have a player in the semi-finals of the European Cup and say to him don’t tackle.”Ferguson accepts his injury-ridden defence will struggle to deny Milan in their own stadium, but he has backed his own side to score at least once.”I don’t agree with the view that it is vital we don’t go over there and concede,” he added.”I wouldn’t say we are favourites, but I think we have given ourselves a great chance.A goal lead is a great start in European football, and I think there will be good counter-attack possibilities in our side.”Milan are aiming to reach their 10th European Cup/Champions League final and United their third.Nampa-AFP