Penalties spot-on for Dida

By Fernando Duarte

AC Milan goalkeeper Dida will not mind if the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool FC is settled by a penalty shoot-out. The Milan No1 was the hero when the Rossoneri beat Juventus FC on penalties in the 2002/03 final, and is confident he can come out on top again if the situation arises.

Job description
"There is always a chance that the match will be decided on penalties and if that happens I will try to be calm," Dida told uefa.com. "The shoot-out is a lottery but a goalkeeper can help himself by focusing on the job as hard as possible. It is my job to save penalties."

Speedy forwards
Dida knows he could be in for a busy night at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic stadium. Liverpool's speedy attack is expected to cause Milan's ageing defence problems, and the Brazilian international will have to be at his best to keep the English side at bay.

Fast breaks
He said: "I watched the second leg of Liverpool's semi-final against Chelsea [FC]. They showed amazing speed on the counterattack which impressed me. In the final we have to make sure that Liverpool do not break so quickly against us for that is when they are at their most dangerous. We need to pay special attention to Luis García and Steven Gerrard. They are both dangerous players and it will be necessary to stop them having an influence on the game."

Confident stance
However, Dida does not believe Milan need to change their tactics too much to cater for Liverpool's attacking threat. As long as they play their own game, the Irará-born keeper believes his side will triumph over their Premiership opponents. "Milan have an amazing group of players that can bring the European Cup home to Italy again with a great performance in Istanbul," he said.

Happy occasion
Win or lose, Dida is determined to enjoy his night. The 31-year-old is excited at the prospect of winning his second European Champion Clubs' Cup in three years, yet is single-minded in his resolve to make the most of what should be a special evening.

Fabulous opportunity
He said: "A European Cup final is such an important prize, so we need to focus totally. Milan have an opportunity to win their second Champions League title in three years and that is something most teams would be happy to dream of doing. We are lucky enough to have the chance to do it and we have to enjoy the moment."