UEFA Champions League: 10 Reasons to Believe AC Milan Can Beat Barcelona

After escaping elimination from the Champions League against Arsenal in the round of 16, AC Milan found themselves paired in the quarterfinals with perhaps the most formidable side in the Champions League, FC Barcelona.

Barcelona are by no means an easy side to defeat and after drubbing Bayer Leverkusen 10-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. With their strong attack that is led by the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, Barça appears to be on top of their game.

But Barcelona's dominance does not necessarily mean that they will advance into the semifinals for a fifth consecutive season. There are still reasons to believe that Milan could win this matchup and reach their first semifinal in six years.

Here are some reasons why Milan can knock out Barcelona...

After Nearly Suffering Elimination to Arsenal, Milan Will Be Motivated

After an impressive 4-0 win against Arsenal in the first leg of their tie, it appeared that Milan would advance into the quarterfinals with minimal effort in the second leg.

But Arsenal's strong first half performance changed everything about this tie. Milan were only able to scrape through in the second half and were embarrassed with their performance.

Considering the strength that Milan possess, along with the amount of attention that they have gotten from their slip-up, Milan will be motivated to perform in the first leg of this matchup, just like they were against Arsenal a month ago.

Milan Has Experience

There are very few clubs in Europe that can boast the experience that AC Milan possesses. With players like Alessandro Nesta and Clarence Seedorf still applying their skills for the Rossoneri after a decade with the club, Milan has experience that very few sides can offer.

The leadership that both players possess is a valuable part to Milan's game and it will be very important in this matchup. Both players can use their leadership to help the younger players at Milan play an effective match against Barcelona.

Barcelona's Defense Is Weaker Than It Once Was

When you take a quick look at Barcelona's 22 goals conceded in La Liga, you probably will not think much of it. However, Barcelona has been mired in their worst defensive season since Pep Guardiola took over the club.

in the 2010-11 campaign, Barcelona conceded fewer goals in La Liga in 38 matches than they have through 29 matches thus far this season.

Barcelona have conceded .76 goals per league match this year, the most of any season in Guardiola's tenure.

Barcelona has also conceded six times in eight matches in Champions League play, with AC Milan registering four of those goals.

The reasoning behind Barcelona's defensive decline has been due to the advancing age of Carles Puyol, along with the medical issues that Eric Abidal has suffered from.

Milan's Stars Have Something to Prove

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho have been the two biggest stars to join Milan in the last year, yet neither player has been able to genuinely prove themselves.

Both Ibrahimovic and Robinho have been plagued with weak performances in some important matches, including the second leg against Arsenal. These performances have become synonymous with the legacy of both players.

This matchup provides a new chance for both players to shine in front of an international audience. Considering their familiarity with Barcelona and the skill they both possess, all speculation about both players could end with a strong performance in this quarterfinal.

Milan's Play Has Only Continued to Get Better in 2012

Since the start of 2012, Milan have been one of the best sides anywhere. They have overtaken Juventus to lead Serie A and were able to reach their first Champions League quarterfinal in five years.

Milan's attack has been nothing short of consistent with plenty of goals scored by different players.

Defensively, the Rossoneri have only conceded four times in the league since their 2-0 loss to Lazio on Feb. 1.

Milan is peaking at the right time and will be a tough side to defeat.

Barcelona Have Been Inconsistent This Season

Even though they are widely regarded to be one of the greatest teams ever, Barcelona has suffered their fair share struggles this season.

Barcelona has lost points to the likes of Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Getafe and Villarreal this season–all sides that are in the bottom half of La Liga's table.

These struggles are worrisome. If Barcelona puts on a weak performance against Milan like they did against these weak La Liga sides, Milan could easily advance.

Milan Prevented Leo Messi from Scoring in Open Play

Lionel Messi has been outstanding this season. The undisputed best player in the world became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match when he did so against Leverkusen, and Messi became the all-time leading goalscorer for Barcelona with a hat trick against Granada.

Despite his incredible play, Messi was not able to score from open play against Milan during the group stage. Thanks to some great performances from the Rossoneri's midfield, along with two strong performances from Thiago Silva.

Granted, Silva will not participate in this tie due to injury, but that doesn't mean that Messi can't be stopped.

It will take a strong effort to stop Messi, but if Barcelona's midfield could contain the star, they will have a much higher chance of advancing.

There Is Pressure on Barcelona to Repeat as Champions

Barcelona are still the favorites to keep their title of European champions. Yet, Barcelona will have lots of pressure to repeat as champions.

No club has won the European Cup for two straight seasons since Milan did so in 1989 and 1990. Manchester United were the closest side to repeating as champions in 2009, where they reached the final before losing to Barcelona.

The last time that Barcelona tried to keep their Champions League crown, they fell in the semifinals to Inter Milan.

Barcelona has much more pressure going into this tie than Milan does.

Milan Played Well Against Barcelona in the Group Stage

Barcelona are by no means an easy side to play in the Champions League, but Milan were able to get the best of their Spanish opponents when the two sides met in the group stage.

Milan were able to earn a draw at the Camp Nou during Matchday 1 thanks to a stoppage time header from Thiago Silva.

In Matchday 5, the two sides met again at the Camp Nou, with Kevin-Prince Boateng scoring a wonder goal for Milan, though Barcelona went on to win 3-2.

Milan Believe They Can Beat Barcelona

Defeating Barcelona is by no means an easy task. But there has been plenty of optimism throughout Milan's camp that they could win this tie.

When you have people such as club director Umberto Gandini coming out and saying that Milan can defeat Barcelona, you are certainly putting a target on the club to succeed.

No one on Milan's squad has come out and said that they will win this tie publicly, but you can bet that these players believe they can knock Barcelona out.

If Milan can exhibit this on the pitch, they can advance into the semifinals.

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