Champions League Round of 16 LIVE!
Will AC Milan be able to hold the fort against Barcelona at the San Siro in the first leg of their last-16 tie? Find out LIVE on FOX Sports!
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was bullish ahead of the first leg of his side's Champions League last-16 clash against Barcelona at San Siro on Wednesday.
Allegri acknowledges his team will be underdogs but is taking confidence from their performances against Barca last season, when they faced the Catalans in both the group stages and quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Milan, who last won the European Cup in 2007, held Barca to a draw at the Nou Camp in September 2011 while they also drew the first leg of the last-eight clash before the Spanish league leaders went on to win the tie 3-1.
Allegri told a press conference: "Milan-Barcelona means we are facing the best team in the world but I do not accept that in the last two weeks everyone has been making us out to be the sacrificial lamb.
"As long as the rules do not change then we start the match tomorrow [Wednesday] evening in the same position, 0-0.
"In the last two years we have played well against Barcelona, we played well in the quarter-final last year.
"We know that at the moment they are the best team in the world but we have to try and create the elements to go through to the next round, although we know that whoever they play against they have an average of 65% possession.
"We have to try and limit their possession, making them less dangerous because they are so dangerous when they go forward. We have to be good at managing our own possession because maybe they will concede something at the back.
"We have to step onto the pitch with the conviction that we can go through to the next round. I know we will do well, then if we are a little lucky we can hope of making the quarter-finals."
AC Milan vs Barcelona Starting XIs
AC Milan: Abbiati; Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, Ambrosini, Muntari; Boateng, Pazzini, El Shaarawy.
SUBS: Amelia, De Sciglio, Yepes, Traoré, Christante, Niang, Krkić
Barcelona: Valdés, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Alba, Sergio, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc, Pedro, Messi.
SUBS: Pinto, Montoya, Mascherano, Song, Thiago, Alexis, Tello.
Galatasaray vs Schalke Starting XIs
Galatasaray: Muslera, Nounkeu, Semih Kaya, Sabri Sarıoglu, Hamit Altıntop, Selcuk Inan, Felipe Melo, Riera, Sneijder, Drogba, Burak Yılmaz
SUBS: Eray Iscan, Hakan Balta, Eboue, Kurtulus, Emre Colak, Amrabat, Umut Bulut.
Schalke: Schalke: Hildebrand, Howedes, Matip, Kolasinac, Bastos, Höger, Jones, Draxler, Neustadter, Farfan, Huntelaar
SUBS: Fahrmann, Metzelder, Fuchs, Barnetta, Meyer, Obasi, Pukki.
FOX Sports’ upcoming live blog coverage
Champions League
-Milan vs Barcelona: Wednesday, Feb 20
-United vs Real Madrid: Tuesday, March 6
-Barcelona vs Milan: Tuesday, March 13
-Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: Wednesday, March 14
Premier League
-QPR vs Man United, Arsenal vs Aston Villa: Saturday, Feb 23
-Man City vs Chelsea: Sunday, Feb 24
-Tottenham vs Arsenal: Sunday, March 3
-Liverpool vs Spurs: Sunday, March 10
-Chelsea vs West Ham, Southampton vs Liverpool, Swansea vs Arsenal: Saturday, March 16
-United vs Reading: Saturday, March 16 (kick-off at 1.30am)
In the night's other game, Didier Drogba could make his Champions League return in Galatasaray's last 16 clash with Schalke after scoring on his Turkish Super Lig debut on Friday.
Drogba, who helped Chelsea win the European title last season by scoring the winning penalty in the final shoot-out against Bayern Munich, joined Gala in January on a one-and-a-half year deal following an ill-fated spell at Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.
If he does play, the 34-year-old striker looks set to link up with the Turkish side's other major transfer window signing - Holland midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim admitted last Friday's 2-1 win over Akhisar Belediyespor and Drogba opening his goalscoring account was the perfect preparation for the return to European action.
"It gave us a morale boost ahead of the Schalke game," Terim said.
"When he is fit, Drogba has the ability both to keep the ball for us up front and to lead the team.
"When you add Sneijder to that, we will perform much better. Both have integrated with the team very quickly."
Tuesday's Champions League Results
Wednesday's Champions League Fixtures