Payback time for Pellegrini's Madrid

AC Milan and Real Madrid CF resume their heavyweight contest at San Siro on Tuesday with the Spanish side out to avenge their 3-2 defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu on Matchday 3. With Madrid having put a three-game winless run behind them with victory over Getafe CF on Saturday, coach Manuel Pellegrini wants his charges to restore "the balance" against a Milan team who have hit form since that morale-boosting success. The Rossoneri, though, suffered their own setback at home to FC Zürich on Matchday 2, and Kaká's return to Milan could provide an acid test of Leonardo's Group C leaders.

Leonardo, Milan coach
It's a positive moment for Milan, but games like these are always unpredictable. We have had good results recently, and the atmosphere surrounding this game against Real Madrid is special. It's always the right moment to play a game like this. I don't think they will change their starting XI or their tactics particularly. Every team has their way of playing and it is not possible to change it too much, so I think this match will be like the first one in Madrid. As for Kaká, I have spoken to him and we discussed a lot of things, but not Tuesday's game. I know he still cares about Milan and looks out for our results.

Manuel Pellegrini, Madrid coach
I haven't fielded the same starting XI all season, but I don't know what I will do here. I will decide before the game. It is a very important match for both teams' future in the competition. We need to play well from the off and then we'll see if things go as planned. Both clubs want to win the group, but we must remember we have another two games to play. We lost our balance in Madrid and Milan took advantage. We saw once again that they have strong and experienced players. But we will try to get the points here, without losing our balance. Kaká needs a little time to get used to a new league, as happens with any player who moves to a new country. Yet even if he hasn't played as well as he did in Milan, he has still been important for us.

Weekend results
31/10/09 Milan 2-0 Parma FC
(Borriello 12 90+3)

• Marco Borriello's goals, both set up by Ronaldinho, were his first of the campaign on what was his first start since recovering from injury.

31/10/09 Madrid 2-0 Getafe CF
(Higuaín 53 56)

• The victory was Madrid's first in four matches in all competitions.

Team news
Milan
Out: Christian Abbiati (knee), Davide Di Gennaro (toe), Oguchi Onyewu (knee), Marco Storari (thigh), Marek Jankulovski (ankle)
Doubtful: Alessandro Nesta (thigh), Luca Antonini (thigh)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Gianluca Zambrotta

Madrid
Out: Cristiano Ronaldo (ankle), Ezequiel Garay (achilles), Christoph Metzelder and Guti (both tactical reasons)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• After a surprise home defeat by FC Zürich on 30 September, Milan will attempt to regain their supporters' trust by building on the 3-2 triumph registered at the Santiago Bernabéu. Pato scored twice for Milan in Spain to outshine former Rossoneri favourite Kaká, including the winner with two minutes remaining. The result left Milan and Madrid level on six points at the top of the table.

• Madrid's last visit to Milan was in November 2002, a 1-0 defeat in the second group stage. They have since made six trips to Italy, losing on four occasions. Their only victory in that period came in December 2004 when they won 3-0 at AS Roma.

• Milan's reverse against Zürich means they have lost two in a row in the UEFA Champions League at San Siro. Their preceding home game was a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal FC in the 2007/08 first knockout round.

• Milan have won all five home matches against Madrid, conceding only one goal. That came in their first meeting in Italy, in a semi-final second leg in the European Champion Clubs' Cup's debut season of 1955/56. The Rossoneri edged that game 2-1, yet Madrid won the tie 5-4 on aggregate en route to the first of five successive crowns.

Did you know?
In 12 encounters, Milan and Madrid have drawn just once – 1-1 in the first leg of their 1988/89 European Cup semi-final. Milan won the second leg 5-0 and went on to lift the trophy.