Follow live coverage of AC Milan v Barcelona here

Messi
Reuters

AC Milan host Barcelona in the third round of fixtures in the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Where to Watch Live

Kickoff is set for 7:45pm BST. Live coverage will be available on Sky Sports 4 and Sky Sports 4 HD.

Overview

This is the third consecutive time that these teams have met in the Champions League, with the Spanish giants going head to head against their Italian rivals in the round of 16 last year. The previous two years saw the teams meet in the group stages and by now both teams should have a basic understanding of their opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

AC Milan have been in dire form this season and are currently eighth in Serie A, with an accumulated points tally of 11, 13 points behind league leaders Roma. Much of their form has been down to an injury crisis which has seen the likes of Mario Balotelli, Daniele Bonera, Mattia De Sciglio, Giampaolo Pazzini and Stephan El Shaarawy all on the sidelines for much of the season. Manager Massimiliano Allegri will however be pleased by their performance in the weekend where they prevailed over Udinese in a 1-0 win. A 22<sup>nd minute strike from Valter Birsa was the difference between the two sides and Allegri will be hoping that his team can take this form to match the Spanish giants.

Barcelona, on the other hand, shall come into the game on the back of an insipid 0-0 draw against Osasuna in the La Liga. This is the first time in over 64 games that the Catalans have drawn a blank and should give the opposition manager some hope to stem their rollicking form this season. This will be the first real test for new manager Tata Martino who will also have one eye on the upcoming el Classico against Real Madrid scheduled for the upcoming weekend. The Catalans are currently top of La Liga, one point ahead of Atletico Madrid and three ahead of arch rivals Real Madrid.

What the Managers Say

Massimiliano Allegri: "We're still waiting to get players back namely Pazzini, Bonera, De Sciglio and Balotelli. It'll be tough against Barcelona but we have the right requirements to do well. There are three points available on Tuesday and they'll be important to get out of the group."

Tata Martino: "We will very nearly be qualified for the Round of 16 of the Champions League if we get a positive result on Tuesday. It's a decisive for our hopes of qualifying and that's why I thought it best to bring all 22 players [to Milan]."

Form Guide

AC Milan

    • Last Five(all competitions, most recent first): W L D W D
    • Last Result:AC Milan 1-0 Udinese

Barcelona

    • Last Five(all competitions, most recent first): D W W W W
    • Last Result: Osasuna 0-0 Barcelona

Team News

AC Milan

Injured: Daniele Bonera, Mattia De Sciglio, Giampaolo Pazzini (all knee), Stephan El Shaarawy(foot)

Doubtful: Mario Balotelli(thigh)

Suspended: N/A

Probable Line-Up: Amelia; Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, De Jong, Muntari; Birsa, Matri, Balotelli

Barcelona

Injured: Jordi Alba and Ibrahim Afellay (both thigh)

Doubtful: N/A

Suspended: N/A

Probable Line-Up: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Adriano; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Sanchez, Neymar