AC Milan threat looms for Barcelona

LONDON – Victory is the only option for Barcelona as the reigning champions welcome AC Milan to the Camp Nou in the most finely balanced of the Champions League quarterfinals this week.

Milan kept Barcelona and its peerless forward Lionel Messi scoreless in a Champions League match for the first time in 2 and a half years in the 0-0 draw in the first leg.If Barcelona is going to stay on course to retain the Champions League title, the Spanish team has to rediscover its attacking fluency against a side that drew 2-2 at the Camp Nou in the group stage.’We have to win, that’s the reality,’ Barcelona playmaker Andres Iniesta said. ‘At home, in front of our fans, we should go through so we should approach it with confidence.’With Messi in the team, there will always be hope.His goal in the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Saturday was his 56th in all competitions this season – the most for a player in a major European league since Germany’s great Gerd Mueller scored 67 for Bayern Munich in the 1972-73 campaign.And Messi’s 49 career Champions League goals rank behind only Raul Gonzalez (71), Ruud van Nistelrooy (56) and Thierry Henry (50).Barcelona is unbeaten in 11 matches – with the result at the San Siro its lone draw – during a run in which it has outscored opponents 33-8.Pep Guardiola’s team hasn’t lost at the Camp Nou for 51 games, dating back to September 2010, yet Milan midfielder Alberto Aquilani believes it is all to play for in the second leg.’We’ve got plenty of chance against Barcelona,’ Aquilani said. ‘The first leg showed that there’s not much difference between us and them.’Mark van Bommel is out with a back injury for Milan, which drew 1-1 at Catania on Saturday, while goalkeeper Christian Abbiati and midfielder Antonio Nocerino should be fit despite being seen limping after the match.Midfielder Cesc Fabregas and defender Carles Puyol were rested against Bilbao, while Brazil fullback Adriano trained normally with the team on Sunday after an injury.The winner of the Barca-Milan match will likely play Chelsea, which holds a 1-0 lead over Benfica heading into the second leg at Stamford Bridge.A potential semifinal between Madrid and Bayern looms unless there is a major upset in their second-leg matches.Madrid holds a 3-0 cushion over unheralded Cypriot team APOEL Nicosia, whose historic run to the quarterfinals has thrilled neutrals but came to a shuddering halt last week against the Spanish powerhouse and nine-time European champion.Madrid is on the verge of reaching its second straight Champions League semifinal under coach Jose Mourinho, who is bidding to become the first coach to win the competition with three different teams.Bayern Munich also has one foot in the semifinals after a 2-0 win in Marseille in the first leg thanks to goals from Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez – his 11th of the competition.’The job isn’t done yet,’ warned Franck Ribery, who played two seasons for Marseille before his transfer to Bayern in 2007. ‘We can’t already think we’re playing against Madrid … no, no.’Bayern picked up five yellow cards in the first leg, including one for Bastian Schweinsteiger which rules him out of Tuesday’s match. – Nampa-AP

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