Players for Barcelona to Fear in Champions League Group H

Champions League Group H has thrown up some tantalising matchups.

Barcelona will renew their rivalry with Italian giants AC Milan, whom they have met in the competition in each of the last two years. Coincidentally, the 2011/12 edition of the tournament saw them paired in Group H, a group that Barca topped without losing a game.

For fans of the beautiful game, you can't ask for better than Ajax being the next team drawn out of the pot. Total football meets tiki-taka. 

Completing the group are Scottish champions Celtic, who staged a stunning fightback Wednesday night against Shakhter Karagandy to put themselves into the draw. Barca have the perfect chance to get immediate revenge over a team that gained an unlikely group win at Celtic Park last season.

Let's take a look at a few players who could cause the Blaugrana some problems.

AC Milan

AC Milan. Again.

Barcelona's recent rivalry with the Italians is set to continue in what could be two classic group games. For the third season running, Barca will do battle with a Rossoneri squad full of world-class talent.

Riccardo Montolivo is the driving force in the midfield area and he showed in the match between the two sides at the San Siro last season, that he is more than capable of keeping his opposite numbers quiet. B/R's Matteo Bonetti details the player's versatility and why he is—and will be—so important for Milan.

Kevin-Prince Boateng has carried on where he left off last season. Two goals in the Champions League playoff earlier this week against PSV Eindhoven saw the Serie A side progress to the group stage. He remains an enigmatic player but one whose vast array of sublime skills is self evident. His supply line is certainly one that needs to be dealt with at source.

Cules will remember he has a knack of scoring against Barca. Who can forget this?!

Stephan El Shaarawy is about much more than a haircut. Massimiliano Allegri has already warned that the young striker is back to his best, per Alec Fenn of Goal.com, and that bodes well for the italians. Sharp, dynamic and versatile, El Shaarawy is predominantly a left-winger but can create havoc in a more central role, be it as an attacking midfielder or striker. 

At just 20, the youngster is forming an emerging partnership with Mario Balotelli. The player everyone loves to hate has already scored a remarkable 12 goals in 13 games this season.

Although trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes, Balotelli was praised by Allegri in a Goal.com story for helping Milan arrive at the group stages:

"

Balotelli played a great game.

He has taken on a lot of responsibility. He's a real professional.

We drew the toughest team out of the draw and the players have done really well and they deserve the win.

"

A fully fit and firing Balotelli is likely to cause nightmares for any defence, and with able support from the likes of Boateng and El Shaarawy, this two-legged tie promises to be every bit as good as the previous meetings between the teams.

Ajax

Viktor Fischer's star has been on the rise ever since he starred for Ajax in the NextGen Series tournament two years ago.

Charles Perrin of the Express reported back in May that Chelsea and Manchester United had their hopes of signing the player dashed after he ruled out a move until later in his career.

Just 19 years old, left-winger Fischer has it all: pace, power and directness allied with great skill, a deft touch when required and wonderful shooting and crossing ability. Dani Alves will certainly have his work cut out keeping the Danish international quiet.  

Despite recently suffering a collapsed lung, Ajax captain Siem de Jong is only likely to miss the first Champions League match of the campaign (per ESPN). Comfortable in both the main striking and attacking midfield roles, de Jong has filled the void left by Luis Suarez. 

His work rate and high intensity game will be more than a match for his Barca counterparts, who should also be wary of his stunning long-range strikes.

Celtic

How on earth Celtic managed to beat Barcelona during last season's competition is anyone's guess.

Possession stats of just 16.4 percent for the entirety of the game (per Telegraph Sport) tells its own story. Xavi Hernandez matched the whole Celtic squad with 166 passes in the game.

Clearly the Blaugrana will need to be much more incisive with their play in the two games against the Scottish champions.

Kris Commons remains a talisman for Celtic. A cultured passer of the ball if he is allowed time and space, he will hurt you.

Jospeh Ruddy of Celtic Journal agrees that Commons is the Hoops' best signing of the Neil Lennon era:

"

Commons has the ability to open up defences with a single pass and he can dribble past players on his day.

He also has a truly fantastic eye for goal and always likes to take on the long shots. His vision is second to none and at so many times he looks like the only player who is capable of attacking.

You can see what a difference he makes to the team and when he isn’t playing for whatever reason, you can see that we miss him.

"

Tony Watt is a major beneficiary of Commons' creativity whilst being a top striking talent himself.

He scored a memorable winner in the group match with Barcelona last season, which sent Celtic Park into ecstasy. The youngster possesses that wonderful mix of fearlessness, youthful exuberance and a keen eye for goal, and he will no doubt be looking to keep the Barca defence on their toes over the two legs.

Captain Scott Brown is Celtic's Carles Puyol.

The central midfielder is a true warrior who will drive his troops on until the final whistle and will be manager Neil Lennon's mouthpiece on the pitch. Expect nothing less than 100 percent commitment throughout both games.