The Dream Team will prove a nightmare for Milan

According to Johan Cruyff, “Barcelona are favourites.” and it’s hard to disagree. They meet AC Milan at the Olympic Stadium this Wednesday in the inaugural final of the Champions League, although this would be their second victory in Europe’s premier cup competition in three years. Milan won the European Cup back-to-back in 1989-90, but this is a much changed side from Arrigo Sacchi’s indomitable team.

Gone is the defensive shielding of Rijkaard and Ancelotti along with versatile midfielder Gullit, and with the legendary van Basten being joined on injury table by the world’s most expensive player, £13 million Gianluigi Lentini, the options for Milan manager Fabio Capello are thin. The situation is equally dire in the much-fabled Milan defence with both Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta missing out through suspension.

Baresi’s absence will be felt the hardest as not only is his defensive prowess irreplaceable at the back, but his forward bursts to instigate attacks will also be missed. Milan’s defensive system is centred around a high defensive line, and Baresi is peerless in this role, pushing up his backline as he anticipates through-balls and forward runs from his opponents.

Paolo Maldini is a fine left-back, but without the guidance of Baresi and Costacurta beside him the Italy international will struggle in a central defensive role to which he is unfamiliar and ill-suited. Ahead of Maldini, Albertini longs for a partner of the quality of Rijkaard or Ancelotti as Marcel Desailly continues to underwhelm after his summer move from Marseille. Up front this is no longer the well-rounded attack of Sacchi’s Milan, with Jean-Pierre Papin and Dejan Savicevic failing to impress, although the talented Florin Raducioiu should start and may prove to be a problem for Barcelona.

Despite this, Capello has just clinched his third consecutive Scudetto whilst conceding only 15 goals in 34 games, however Milan only managed to score 36 goals all season and did not win any of their final six matches. Conversely, Barcelona recently sealed an unprecedented fourth successive league title playing some of the most attractive football the continent has ever seen.

The Spanish champions boast two of the world’s greatest players in Hristo Stoichkov and Romario, the latter netting 30 goals in 33 games domestically and who cost the same amount as Desailly last summer. Cruyff noted, “We’re more complete, competitive and experienced than [in the 1992 final] at Wembley. Milan are nothing out of this world. They base their game on defence, we base ours on attack.”

With this confidence flowing through his team, the Dutchman will have to choose to omit one of Romário, Stoichkov, Ronald Koeman, or Michael Laudrup for the game in Athens due to UEFA regulations. The smart money is on Koeman missing out as, although Stoichkov and Romario form a devastating partnership up front, Laudrup is the creative heart of this side and has a point to prove to the Italians after his unhappy time in Serie A. The Dane’s wandering role in midfield should prevent Albertini pushing forward, and his penetrating passes behind defences for Stoichkov and Romario to run onto are a familiar sight for viewers of La Liga.

Both Milan and Barcelona have waltzed through to the final. Cruyff’s side topped Group A ahead of AS Monaco, Spartak Moscow and Galatasaray, going on to dispatch FC Porto in the last-four at Camp Nou. Capello had it much tougher than expected in Group B alongside FC Porto, Werder Bremen and Anderlecht, only securing top spot after a 0-0 draw in Portugal in the final match, before eliminating Monaco 3-0 at San Siro in the semi-final.

The Barcelona side Cruyff has constructed are a revolution, with world class players at various positions, they still manage to be greater than the sum of their parts. Milan’s defence would have struggled to deal with the movement of Stoichkov and Romario even if they were at full strength, missing their two best players only makes the task that much more difficult. In attack, the likes of Savicevic will be hard-pressed to find space in behind either Ferrer or Sergi, who combine attacking fluidity with defensive awareness in a manner rarely seen since, ironically, Giacinto Facchetti.

The football Cruyff brought to Catalonia, first as a player and now as manager, has been counter-cultural, and is changing the parameters of the sport. As they prepare to meet the poorest Milan of the Berlusconi era, the Spanish champions arrive at the peak of their powers, ready to claim the highest prize of European football. Barcelona start as favourites, and rightfully so, on 18th May 1994 the Dream Team become immortal.