Champions League: AC Milan Ready to Face Real Madrid in Clash Of The Titans

The two most successful teams in UEFA Champions League history, will meet yet again on the big stage Tuesday night. Italian giant, AC Milan, travels to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid.

Both clubs come into the match riding a wave of momentum. Real Madrid is unbeaten this season, with seven wins and two draws, in La Liga and the Champions League. In their first nine matches, the Galacticos have 19 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo (6 goals) and Gonzalo Higuain (5 goals) lead the team.

In the Champions League, they have six points from two matches, beating Ajax and Auxerre in succession.

AC Milan has bounced back from a rocky September, to grind out two important results. After a second round loss to Cesena in the Serie A debut of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho, the Rossoneri have gone unbeaten in five league matches, including three successive victories. Milan are in prime position in Serie A, sitting on 14 points from seven matches and are in a deadlock with hated rivals Inter Milan for second place, two points behind Lazio.

They are two points off Real Madrid, after they were held to a draw at Ajax after defeating Auxerre.

The seven-time Champions League winners, Milan, and nine time winners, Real Madrid, meet for the third time in a year, as they were paired in last years Group Stage as well. Milan was the more successful of the two, defeating Madrid 3-2 in Spain and drawing 1-1 at the San Siro.

Both sides were eliminated in last year's Round of 16, after progressing through the Group Stage.

Madrid will be without Sergio Ramos who is unavailable. The only other notable injury is to Kaka, who has not played this season.

Milan will be missing Massimo Ambrosini, who has not played since the September 15th victory over Auxerre. Thiago Silva is still in doubt as well, after sustaining an injury in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Chievo Verona.

Pato made his first start since the Auxerre match. This was only his second game back after sustaining a muscle injury. In the win over Chievo, the Brazilian netted twice, continuing the form he showed for Brazil on the international break. He scored twice in the two friendlies, scoring against both Iran and Ukraine for Mano Menezes' squad.

Milan manager Massimilano Allegri is very excited about the match on Tuesday and has reminded everyone that it will be difficult for both sides.

"The match tomorrow evening," said Allegri after arriving in Spain this morning, "is a very important one, as it can heavily influence the final standings of the group. Our objective is to progress to the knock-out stage."

"Real Madrid? It will be a difficult match. We’ll have to give our all, making as few mistakes as possible. We are aware of the fact the Blancos have great forwards who could cause us problems at any moment of the game, but we are no less dangerous.”

Allegri's counterpart, Jose Mourinho, who joined Los Blancos after two years at Inter Milan this summer, is also very respectful of his opponent. However, he is hoping his side can guarantee a spot in the next round with a win.

"Milan are a different opponent because of their history," the Special One told reporters on Monday. "Between us and them there are 16 European Cup titles. You can't forget about that. The match will feature two teams with histories different to the rest"

"We are currently group leaders and we have a special way to control our destiny. We will play so as to reach the next round. Ibrahimovic is a man who makes a difference and Milan have great quality players in general. I believe the match will be more difficult for us if Inzaghi plays."

The most anticipated matchup of the Group Stage should produce plenty of excitement and the result is definitely up in the air. Some would understandably give Madrid the edge. The nine-time champions have been red hot recently, virtually scoring at will (they have scored ten goals in their last two La Liga matches). Ronaldo has once again been the star. Higuain is continuing off the momentum he built at the World Cup, where he netted five times for Argentina. Under new manager Jose Mourinho, they are sitting atop La Liga, one point ahead of reigning champions Barcelona, as they look for their first title since 2008.

Milan, as mentioned, are unbeaten in seven matches. Despite not being as convincing as Madrid, they have gotten excellent results against tough clubs such as Parma, Genoa and Chievo. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pato, Andrea Pirlo and Kevin-Prince Boateng have been leading the way, while Christian Abbiati has been a brick in the goal for the Rossoneri. It seems that Massimilano Allegri is on the verge of finding a perfect format for Milan's lineup.

Thiago Silva's injury may be a major factor in the matchup. If he is injured, Daniele Bonera must be prepared to step into his role. After an excellent opening match against Lecce, the Italian defender has declined with some sub-par performances lately. He has the ability to rise to the occasion, which will be needed. Ignazio Abate is not the answer when a backup defender is needed.

In the midfield, Allegri needs to consider returning to Kevin-Prince Boateng in place of Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso has not been dreadful, but he has not had the kinds of performances that the 23-year old Ghana star has had this season. Many were skeptical acquiring Prince, based on that sketchy loan deal, but he has become a fan favorite at the San Siro and has been one of Milan's best players this season. They play best with Boateng in the lineup and he will be needed to counter the excellent midfield and defense of Madrid.

Abbiati looked roughed up during the second half against Chievo. He had sustained an abductor muscle injury leading up to the match, but played anyways. Marco Amelia was ready to come in at halftime, but Allegri decided to stay with his proven number one. If Abbiati is able to move on Tuesday night, he should be in the net. He has been a standout this season, playing absolutely fantastic in the net. Of the seven goals given up this season, there is maybe one or two he could have done better against. The only one that comes to mind, is the opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Catania, a game Milan should have won. Although, not all the blame should fall on Abbiati. Against Madrid, if he is fit enough to play, he is the best option. By fit enough, I mean as long as he can dive and move, even if he is slightly uncomfortable, as he was in the second half Saturday.

Overall, this match is a complete tossup. Playing at home and having been on a tear their past couple matches offensively, Madrid has the edge. That being said, they are not facing a team like Deportivo (who they beat 6-1 this month), who have not won a game. They are playing one of the best teams in Italy and the world, with one of the best attacking units and talent throughout the ground, Milan is a formidable foe for the Galacticos. Pato is back and firing right off the bat. Ronaldinho has been playing better recently and has been a great distributor. Ibrahimovic has not scored since Ajax on the 28th of September, but that is only two matches and has given us the chance to learn that Milan have more than one viable scoring option. Robinho has finally found the net and has expressed his desire to score at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night. Pirlo has been the general on the field and his fantastic strike on October 2nd gave Milan a lot of energy to carry with them. Even after a two week layoff, it carried into a 3-1 triumph over always challenging Chievo.

With this in mind, it is hard to make a definitive call on this game. It boils down to two different scenarios I believe: AC Milan with Thiago Silva and AC Milan without Thiago Silva

With Silva, Milan has a chance at winning this game. A 2-1 scoreline is likely. The offense should be able to get through and cause damage if Pirlo and Boateng push up to support Ronaldinho, Ibrahimovic and Pato. There has also been talk of playing all four strikers simultaneously, which would include Robinho,  and going much more offensive. If they do that, Milan should win.

Without Silva, Daniele Bonera will have to rise to the occasion and play the game of his life. If he does not, look for a possibly 3-2 Madrid victory. Milan should be able to get two goals tomorrow no matter what, but can they get more if necessary will be the question.

In realistic terms, a 1-1 or 2-2 draw is a highly likely situation tomorrow, in what is clearly the game of the round in the Champions League.

Coincidentally, Inter Milan have the other big game this week. They will host English side Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday at the San Siro.