'Great expectations' in Madrid

Real Madrid CF against AC Milan needs no introduction and the coaches of both clubs were seemingly looking forward to the fixture as much as the fans as they spoke enthusiastically in the pre-match conferences ahead of the Group C contest. Madrid top the section with a perfect record from two matches while the Rossoneri are level on three points with FC Zürich after losing at home to the Swiss club on Matchday 2.

Manuel Pellegrini, Madrid coach
It's always difficult no matter who you face, but we have to admit that an encounter between Real Madrid and Milan is something special because of the magnitude of both clubs and the quality within either squad. Their players have a lot of experience and played a good second half against Roma. Milan are not a team in decline; they have a huge history behind them and players of real quality. Milan are and always will be a team that can cause a lot of damage to their rivals. Given space they can be very dangerous and we have to be careful because we're facing a team that can make things very complicated for us. Week after week we're improving the way we play. We have some lapses during games but that's normal for a team that is still being formed. 

Leonardo, Milan coach
Real Madrid and Milan are two of the most important clubs in Europe and there are certainly great expectations. Milan and Real have a lot of mutual respect. I believe we can achieve a good result here because we always find something extra in these big games. We know our opponents well and Real know us as well. This is Real-Milan; as good as it gets. We're on a high after a win against AS Roma which gave us some important answers. Real have great players and are in good form, and I'm sure the game is also special for them. Ronaldinho and Kakà are both attacking players but are very different from each other. Ricky's pace makes him special but Ronaldinho is as special with his skills with the ball. They are complete players but with different styles.

Weekend results
17/10/09 Madrid 4-2 Real Valladolid CF
(Raúl 14 18, Marcelo 45+2, Higuaín 79; Alemán 29, Marquitos 53)

• Saturday's win was Madrid's eighth in nine outings having lost their 100 per cent record in all competitions when they lost their previous Liga fixture to Sevilla FC.

• Raúl González's goals took his Liga tally to 226, drawing him level with César Rodríguez in fourth on the all-time top scorers' list. He is now just one behind Alfredo di Stéfano; Athletic Club Bilbao legend Telmo Zarra is first on 251.

18/10/2009 Milan 2-1 AS Roma
(Ronaldinho 56pen, Pato 67; Menez 3)

• Milan claimed their first win in five games though had to survive the last nine minutes with ten men after Massimo Ambrosini received a second yellow card.

• The Rossoneri have scored just eight goals in ten outings in all competitions this season, failing to register in five games.

Team news
Madrid
Out: Ruud van Nistelrooy (thigh), Christoph Metzelder (calf, ankle), Fernando Gago (thigh), Cristiano Ronaldo (ankle), Guti (ankle)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Milan
Out: Christian Abbiati (knee), Davide Di Gennaro (toe), Marco Borriello (back), Oguchi Onyewu (knee), Marco Storari (thigh), Gennaro Gattuso (knee)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• Several players are facing former teams. Kaká spent six seasons at Milan before his summer move to the Santiago Bernabéu and Clarence Seedorf won this trophy with Madrid in 1998. It will be a quick return to the Spanish capital for Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who had a seven-month spell with Los Merengues from December 2008.

• High stakes tend to be involved whenever these teams cross paths. Their first competitive meeting was a semi-final encounter in the European Champion Clubs' Cup debut season of 1955/56. Madrid edged that tie 5-4 on aggregate on their way to the first of five successive crowns.

• Remarkably, the designated home team has come out on top in nine of the eleven fixtures that have been played over the years, the sole exceptions being the 1988/89 European Cup semi-final first leg in the Spanish capital, which finished 1-1, and the 1957/58 showpiece in Brussels, won 3-2 by Madrid.

• Their most recent games came during the second group stage in 2002/03, Milan triumphing 1-0 at home before Madrid prevailed 3-1 in the return. Raúl scored twice and Guti, a second-half substitute, added a third in the latter match.

Did you know?
Already Madrid's all-time leading appearance holder in the Spanish top flight, Raúl surpassed Manuel Sanchís's overall mark of 708 competitive games against Olympique de Marseille on Matchday 2, his 125th appearance in the UEFA Champions League.