Milan man the barricades

By Ivan Carvalho

Having remained unbeaten since the start of the season, FC Barcelona fell to a rare defeat at the hands of AC Milan at the San Siro on UEFA Champions League Matchday 3.

No disaster
However, despite the defeat against the 2002/03 Champions League winners, the Primera División leaders remain confident they can progress from Group F and are anxious to make amends when Carlo Ancelotti's men travel to the Camp Nou for the reverse fixture on Matchday 4.

Ronaldinho satisfied
"We are unhappy about the defeat but not about the way we played," Ronaldinho told uefa.com. "We created chances but this time we just couldn't convert them into goals. People know that we have many options in attack but the game can't always go the way we want it to."

Attacking formation
Coach Frank Rijkaard fielded both Henrik Larsson and Samuel Eto'o alongside the 24-year-old Ronaldinho. However, the 4-3-3 formation did not prove to be a big hit against a Milan defence replenished by the return of Jaap Stam.

Cafu obstacle
Ronaldinho's position on the left side saw him come up against his Brazilian compatriot Cafu. It was not a challenge that he relished. "I found I had to play a lot on the opposite side just to avoid Cafu," he said. "But those were the coach's orders and you have to follow them."

Tough comeback
For Rijkaard, who made 201 appearances for Milan as a player between 1988 and 1993 alongside fellow Dutchmen Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, the match at the San Siro was a bittersweet homecoming. "It is our first defeat but there is nothing to be worried about," he insisted. "I think the team gave a good display out there.

Patience required
"It is always our objective to win but I am happy with how our players performed," he added. "Overall, we played a good match but we didn't dominate. We spent a lot of energy on the pitch trying to create chances. If we had had more patience, we could have found more space in which to pass."

Milan power
While Barcelona defender Carles Puyol noted that his side had some misfortune with several shots going close, he complimented the Italian champions on their play. "We had more possession but then they catch you on the counterattack," he said. "They are a very strong team."

Ancelotti satisfied
Ancelotti certainly had good reason to praise his side after the match. "Barcelona are one of the strongest clubs in the world at the moment," he said. "In tight spaces they are difficult, and they are especially dangerous when Ronaldinho is on the ball. Our players focused on the job at hand and showed great concentration. We closed them down, counterattacked quickly and conceded very little."

Milan defence
A fine defensive display from Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Stam helped to keep Barça at bay - for the first 70 minutes at least. "We played very well for the first 70 minutes before seeing a drop off and then suffering as Barcelona went on the attack," said the coach, who questioned his side's fitness after a similar slump in the second half nearly cost them against Celtic FC on Matchday 2.

No mercy
In both of those games, Milan managed to survive their sticky patch. However, should they lose their way in the latter stages at the Camp Nou, Ancelotti will expect no mercy from Barça.