Zubizarreta respects Milan threat

By Football Italia staff

Barcelona director Andoni Zubizarreta is expecting a “complicated” game when his side face Milan on Wednesday night.

San Siro will host the first leg of the last 16 Champions League tie and, although Barca are favourites, the former Spanish international respects the Diavolo.

“In the knockout stages there are no favourites,” Zubizarreta commented. “Milan are a great team with a great history and they know how to compete in these games. The tie will be complicated, for sure.

“It is another thing if they have or not the players who are well known or not so well known, but those who wear that shirt will know what the great occasions are and will be prepared for these knock-outs.

“At Milan they know us, but we also know them. Big clubs know how to compete and pick up the results. They are not affected by the pressure.

“Will we hold back for the return leg? We have a style of play, which is to attack and dominate the ball.

“Then the game will tell us what to do, it should be read, but we always try to find the opponents’ goal.”

Zubizarreta last week flew out to America to discuss management strategies with ill Coach Tito Vilanova.

“It was very good, Tito is well, he is recovering very well. We need to be cautious, but we are walking and waiting every day and soon he will be here.

“He is aware of everything that concerns the team, he is more informed than we are, because he has a lot of time,” Zubizarreta smiled.

“He can analyse everything almost instantly, with the difficulty of distance, of course.”

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