Winning feeling all that counts for Casillas

Real Madrid CF goalkeeper Iker Casillas expressed his desire to "see all of AC Milan's stars on the field" as two giants of European football prepare to meet once more.

Should the 29-year-old line up against the Rossoneri on Tuesday, he will move ahead of Oliver Kahn as the goalkeeper with the most UEFA Champions League appearances, yet despite being on the verge of such a milestone, Milan's arrival in the Spanish capital stirred bad memories for the FIFA World Cup winner.

"To be honest, against Italian teams I have more bad memories than good," Casillas said. "I remember losing a couple of ties against Juventus down the years which hurt, but statistics are there to be updated and Tuesday against Milan will see a very competitive game between great players."

Going into the match on the back of three successive Serie A victories will add to the confidence of a Milan side who triumphed in the corresponding fixture at the Santiago Bernabéu last term. Morale is also high among José Mourinho's Group G leaders who have made an unbeaten start to the season, a sequence Casillas wants to continue.

"We have a young team that's still in the construction stage but this game arrives at a good moment for us," he said. "We have more belief in ourselves and we would like to go a step further in terms of confidence. Maybe you could say it's the first really big game of the season against a side who, along with being well-established, have added some really formidable names. That said, I'm not worrying about their lineup, I'm more concerned that we play well and that our fans leave with a good feeling. As our coach said, it's one more game, not that those words stop it being Real Madrid versus AC Milan."

His position among the greats of Madrid established, Casillas has also earned himself a place in the UEFA Champions League pantheon and the two-time winner was quick to thank the club that led him on the road to so much success. "Madrid have given me the chance to reach 104 Champions League games on Tuesday, something that might not have been possible with another team, especially after just 11 seasons, but I'm still a long way off considering retirement."