First place in Group H is at stake when AC Milan host FC Barcelona at San Siro on matchday five. With both sides already qualified for the last 16, Barcelona travel to Italy with a two-point lead knowing victory will win them the group.
The sides have met 12 times in UEFA competition, recording four wins each and four draws. Milan’s record in five home games against Barcelona reads W2 D1 L2.
Their most memorable encounter was the 1994 UEFA Champions League final in Athens, which Milan won 4-0. Milan also prevailed when the clubs met in the 1989 UEFA Super Cup, winning 1-0 at home after a 1-1 away draw.
Milan‘s last victory against Barcelona came on 20 October 2004 in the UEFA Champions League group stage, Andriy Shevchenko scoring the only goal. Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso were on the winning side with Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Víctor Valdés lining up for the Blaugrana.
Mark van Bommel was in the Barcelona lineup when the teams last met at San Siro in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the visitors emerging victorious through a solitary Ludovic Giuly strike. The return finished goalless.
The lineups for that first-leg game on 18 April 2006 were:
Milan: Dida, Kaladze, Nesta, Stam (Cafu 77), Serginho, Gattuso (Ambrosini 74), Seedorf, Pirlo (Maldini 67), Kaká, Shevchenko, Gilardino.
Barcelona: Valdés, Oleguer (Motta 75), Márquez, Puyol, Van Bronckhorst, Edmílson, Van Bommel, Iniesta, Giuly (Belletti 70), Eto’o, Ronaldinho (Maxi López 89).
Before successive wins against Plzeň and BATE, Milan had recorded just one victory in eight home fixtures in their previous two European campaigns.
The Rossoneri’s overall home record against Spanish clubs is W11 D4 L5.
Barcelona have scored nine goals in their two Group H away games so far and have lost just one of their last eight European away fixtures. Their most recent trip to San Siro ended in a 3-1 loss against FC Internazionale Milano in the 2009/10 semi-final first leg. Their overall record away to Italian sides is W5 D6 L5.