Mission Milan for Gunners
League leaders Arsenal will face reigning World and European club champions AC Milan, while Liverpool, beaten finalists last season, must take on runaway Serie A leaders Inter Milan. Both English sides will be at home in the first leg.
Liverpool will call on manager Rafa Benitez’s tactical genius against Inter, who are unbeaten in Serie A this season and will start clear favourites.
In three previous seasons under Benitez, the Reds were underdogs when knocking out Juventus, Barcelona and, in two semi-finals, Chelsea.
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: “Rafa is a great tactician and ties like this one are absolutely where he comes into his own. It’s a mouth-watering prospect but it’s what European football is all about.”
It will be the first meeting between the sides since a European Cup semi-final in 1965, when Inter went through 4-3 on aggregate amid accusations that a referee was bribed by the Italian club.
Parry said: “With some of the fans that memory will add a certain piquancy to the matches.”
Ernesto Paolillo, Inter’s general manager, said: “This is history but sometimes it is not the same as the next match. We have a lot of respect for Liverpool and it is a very difficult match.”
Nerazzurri boss Roberto Mancini admitted that he will have his work cut out to outwit Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez
“It is a good draw,” Mancini said. “There’s no weak teams. As history shows, you risk failing if you draw a team that seems weak. It’s better to face the toughest. Anyway, you have to beat everyone to win.
“Liverpool has a strong team with big players, the English mentality and the tactics of a very good manager who studies games extremely well.”
Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who along with Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo tops the goalscoring charts following the group stage, is itching to get out on the hallowed Anfield turf.
“It will be a great game against Liverpool,” he said. “They are a strong team, but if you want to win the Champions League you have to beat everyone.
“As for Anfield, I really like having the supporters so close, it’s more emotional. It pushes me on and I enjoy it more.
“They are strong, we will have to pay attention and concentrate.”
Arsenal will be more confident of pitting their vibrant young side against a vastly-experienced Milan team that has not won at home in Serie A all season.
Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal have nothing to fear from their Champions League showdown against AC Milan.
The Gunners have paid a high price for finishing second in Group H after being matched against the defending champions in the last 16. But a defiant Wenger is convinced Arsenal can topple the Italian giants.
“What is interesting about AC Milan is the way they can be average in the domestic championship yet raise their game for occasions,” Wenger said.
“That’s something that is really surprising. They look invincible in Europe but beatable in Italy.
“We must analyse what gets them there for the special occasion.
“On paper, it’s the hardest draw we could have had, but I don’t think there’s a lot of difference between Inter and AC Milan because Inter are dominant in the championship. They play each other on Sunday and that will be a good opportunity to look at them. I believe we can do it if we play at our best,” he said.
“It’s a good target for us to get stronger for the match. That’s achievable because we have plenty of young players who are improving, as we saw against Blackburn in the Carling Cup.
“It’s a big challenge but if you ask me do we have a chance to knock them out, then I say yes.
“After what happened two seasons ago we have a job to do. We must do it the hard way but we’re not responsible for the draw.
“If you want to win the Champions League then you have to beat the biggest clubs.
“AC Milan are a very big team — world and European champions. But we can do it.”
Umberto Gandini, Milan director, added: “Arsenal is probably the worst option we could get. It is an excellent team, very well coached and managed by Arsene Wenger.
“But they will play against the reigning champions with some of the best players in the world and it will be a fantastic spectacle.
“Arsenal have a squad who play well with many youngsters, from [Cesc] Fabregas to [Robin] van Persie. They are a squad to get your teeth into but they also have to think about Milan.”
Gandini is hoping that summer signing Alexandre Pato, who will be eligible to play for Milan from January, can transform their fortunes when he is added to their roster for the latter stages of the Champions League.
“Pato will play in the Champions League,” he said. “The list will be handed in February 20 and the gaffer [Carlo Ancelotti] will decide which striker will make way for Pato.”
Seven-time winners Milan travel to the Emirates Stadium on February 20 before playing host to Arsenal at the San Siro. In the other ties, Germany’s Schalke face Porto of Portugal, Roma face Real Madrid, and Fenerbahce of Turkey are at home first against Sevilla of Spain. The first leg matches will be played on February 19 or 20, with the return matches on March 4 or 5 — except for Inter Milan v Liverpool, on March 11.
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