Group G big guns Madrid and Milan meet at Bernabéu

Two of the European Champion Clubs' Cup's great names lock horns on Matchday 3 as Real Madrid CF and AC Milan contest the Group G leadership at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. No teams have won more continental titles than Madrid's nine and Milan's seven.

• Madrid sit top of the section with maximum points as José Mourinho prepares to renew acquaintance with his erstwhile derby rivals from his time at FC Internazionale Milano. After drawing at AFC Ajax on Matchday 2, Massimiliano Allegri's Milan trail their hosts by two points although they did win in Madrid last term.

Previous meetings
• The clubs met at the identical point of the 2009/10 group stage when Milan achieved a memorable first win at Madrid. After Raúl González's first-half goal, Milan responded just after the hour through Andrea Pirlo and Pato. Although Royston Drenthe equalised, Pato's second goal in the 88th minute secured the Rossoneri's win.

• The lineups on 21 October last year were:
Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, Kaká, Diarra, Alonso, Granero (Drenthe 66), Benzema, Raúl.
Milan: Dida, Oddo, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Seedorf, Pato, Inzaghi (Borriello 60), Ronaldinho (Flamini 90).

• It finished 1-1 in Milan, Ronaldinho's penalty cancelling out Karim Benzema's strike.

• Madrid defeated Milan in the semi-finals of the inaugural European Cup in 1955/56 and in the 1963/64 quarter-finals. The teams met in the 1957/58 final, Madrid coming from behind twice to win 3-2 after extratime effort in Brussels. Milan also beat Madrid en route to their 1988/89 (semi-finals) and 1989/90 (second round) European Cup wins.

Match background
• Last term's defeat by Milan was Madrid's third successive home loss to visitors from Serie A. Their overall home record against Italian opposition is W20 D2 L6.

• Milan's victory at the Bernabéu last October was their first in five visits to Spain. Their overall away record against Spanish sides is W4 D5 L10.

Team ties
• Mourinho coached Inter from 2008 to 2010. He faced the Rossoneri four times in Serie A, recording three wins – including a 4-0 success in August 2009 – and one defeat.

• Clarence Seedorf made 121 Liga appearances for Los Merengues from 1996 to 1999 and has won the UEFA Champions League with both Madrid (1998) and Milan (2003, 2007).

• Kaká spent six seasons at Milan, winning the UEFA Champions League in 2006/07 and appearing 193 times in Serie A prior to his 2009 switch to Madrid.

• Xabi Alonso and Jerzy Dudek were in the Liverpool FC team that famously beat Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final, Alonso scoring the equalising goal. Dudek saved from Andrea Pirlo in the penalty shoot-out.

• Dudek was on the bench and Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa, a late substitute, on the pitch when Milan beat Liverpool in the 2007 final with two Filippo Inzaghi goals. At Juventus, Inzaghi lost the 1998 final to Madrid.

• Robinho played for Madrid between 2005 and 2008, scoring 25 goals in 101 Liga appearances.

• Ronaldinho was at FC Barcelona from 2003 to 2008, scoring twice in a 3-0 win at the Bernabéu in November 2005. Zlatan Ibrahimović scored the only goal in Barça's home win against Madrid on 29 November 2009 while Gianluca Zambrotta was at the Camp Nou between 2006 and 2008. Christian Abbiati was on loan at Club Atlético de Madrid in 2007/08.

• Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Manchester United FC in a 3-2 semi-final first-leg win against Milan in 2006/07 but lost the return 3-0.

• Mathieu Flamini played in Arsenal FC's 1-0 win at the Bernabéu in the 2005/06 round of 16 first leg.

• Flavio Roma's AS Monaco FC side lost the 2004 final to the FC Porto of Mourinho and Ricardo Carvalho.

• Mesut Özil's Germany defeated an Italy side including Ignazio Abate 1-0 in the semi-final of the 2009 UEFA Under-21 European Championship.

• At UEFA EURO 2008, a Spain team containing Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos defeated an Italy side including Zambrotta and Massimo Ambrosini on penalties in the quarter-finals.