Champions League Second Round: Milan will play....

A report from www.uefa.com

clears up a few things, unfortunately the draw is not until friday week


Élite 16 set for knockout draw
Thursday, 9 December 2004
The lineup is now complete for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after AS Monaco FC, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF all advanced from the group stage last night.

Final qualifiers
These four clubs will join the 12 sides who had already qualified in the draw that will take place on 17 December at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, starting at 12.00CET. This total of 16 teams comprises the eight section winners and eight runners-up, among whose number are holders FC Porto.

Draw regulations
The draw respects the following principles:
* Clubs from the same association must not be drawn against each other.
* The winners and runners-up of the same group must not be drawn against each other.
* The group winners must not be drawn against each other.
* The runners-up must not be drawn against each other.
* The group runners-up will play the first-leg match at home. (A decision on whether both Milan clubs will play their second-leg games at home in the same week will be taken by UEFA's Club Competitions Committee.)

Match dates
The first legs will be played on 22/23 February with the return legs on 8/9 March. The first knockout round will be followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the final, which will be played in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May.

Group winners Group runners-up
AS Monaco FC (FRA) Liverpool FC (ENG)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) Real Madrid CF (ESP)
Juventus FC (ITA) FC Bayern München (GER)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) Manchester United FC (ENG)
Arsenal FC (ENG) PSV Eindhoven (NED)
AC Milan (ITA) FC Barcelona (ESP)
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) Werder Bremen (GER)
Chelsea FC (ENG) FC Porto (POR

If MUFC face Milan in second round I shall commit suicide.....

Originally Posted by rae

If MUFC face Milan in second round I shall commit suicide.....

Those words may come back to haunt you Rae

What if Milan and ManUre meet in the finals, who will you be cheering for?

Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern....hmmm, all members of the UCL elite (along with Milan of course) according to www.uefa.com, (see

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL...Id=267643.html)

makes for an interesting time of it for Milan come the second round, add Liverpool to the picture, and that makes it even more intriguing.

I am not looking at the minnows, as who cares if we meet make-weights...this is what the UCL is all about, winning regardless of the opposition, although winning one might contend is better than anything...so who cares if the road to your UCL Cup was via Monaco and Eindhoven?

But I am from the school that believes that at this level of competition, Milan can fear no opponent, and be determined and ready be it Madrid or Man U, or Bayern...since Barca cannot be our next opponents, as per UEFA rules....or else, bring them on as well!

I want Milan to show how good we are, and the best way to do that is to prove that you can beat the best. As a student of the game for many a year, I feel that the collection of talent at our disposal today is as good as it has ever been at this club, and so, lets go to Munich and win, make the Bernabeau crowd sing our praises after schooling their galacticos, and leave a trail of broken hearts in Manchester!

The more pragmatic will argue for an easy route, as we will more likely than not, face one of the 4 big guns I have already mentioned, come the final, or very near to...I say with luck on our side, and an impartial ref, we can beat each of these big guns any day! (Juve and Inter are old enemies, and we know how to beat those clowns.)

We have shown an extraordinary tendency to win games that we seemed destined to lose this season, and I daresay that tendency was there from the summer tournament in the US. What this shows me is that our chemistry is getting better and better, and the group are understanding and accepting Carlo's vision as regards tactical matters.

Liverpool is the only other unknown for us at this stage, and for some reason, I don’t think they pose a threat. They may have been back to winning ways in the EPL on the weekend, but surely, their competition and the occasion do not compare with a clash with Milan, in the UCL. They will choke against us, Duff the fluff and Robben of-the-one-foot running forever into the wall built by Maldini-Nesta & Co. Ltd. Pfc.

Forza Milan!!!.... this is the time to really begin to shine, not to burn yet with an all consuming glare, but just begin to show signs of what is to come, round about May or June when we go to Turkey to take another UCL title.

I really hope Chelsea play against Barca. I always wanted Italian teams to go through, but not this time, because in the quarterfinals.. the italians will play against each other..

So im hoping that Chelsea or Juve play against Barca.. And Inter can eliminate Real, while we get LIVERPOOL I HOPE!

Hi guys ... been offline for quite some time due to internet problems. They seem to be resolved now hopefully.

PSV would be a good draw IMO. Whereas a German side or Real would be a bad draw. Our record in Spain is down now so I would prefer for someone else to remove Real rather than us. From the QF onwards bring on anybody. For the RD-16 it is important to get into the groove first so a lighter opponent would be good.

Welcome back Haroon!

The matchup in order of likelihood:

Liverpool
Porto
Real
PSV

Originally Posted by Haroon

Hi guys ... been offline for quite some time due to internet problems. They seem to be resolved now hopefully.

PSV would be a good draw IMO. Whereas a German side or Real would be a bad draw. Our record in Spain is down now so I would prefer for someone else to remove Real rather than us. From the QF onwards bring on anybody. For the RD-16 it is important to get into the groove first so a lighter opponent would be good.

There is prestige in whooping Real ass and we have the firs game away which would be very beneficial since they suck away and they won't be desperate for goals at home. I am sure we could get a draw away and then tie it up at home.

Originally Posted by kris

There is prestige in whooping Real ass and we have the firs game away which would be very beneficial since they suck away and they won't be desperate for goals at home. I am sure we could get a draw away and then tie it up at home.

not neccessarily. Remember than Inter also qualified as first of their group, and we can't both play at home at the same time. So I think there is going to be a draw to see which between Inter and Milan plays first away and then at home.

great to see you around Haroon, looking forward to your Juve - Milan preview

Originally Posted by Goirre

not neccessarily. Remember than Inter also qualified as first of their group, and we can't both play at home at the same time. So I think there is going to be a draw to see which between Inter and Milan plays first away and then at home.

great to see you around Haroon, looking forward to your Juve - Milan preview

Are you sure? This will be unfair to any of the teams.

Originally Posted by Jeff

Are you sure? This will be unfair to any of the teams.

Yes. I find it more likely that we just have two different matchdays.

Originally Posted by Henrik

Those words may come back to haunt you Rae

What if Milan and ManUre meet in the finals, who will you be cheering for?

Jesus Christ... cruise that day when those two teams will be forced to face each other...

Originally Posted by kris

Yes. I find it more likely that we just have two different matchdays.

indeed, Galliani suggested that Inter's match could be postponed

Originally Posted by Goirre

indeed, Galliani suggested that Inter's match could be postponed

Why not change the rule and let Milan beat Inter again in next round instead? No stadium problems in that case