FC Barcelona News: 28 March 2012; Barça Continue Champions League Campaign, Real Madrid Trash APOEL

Guardiola: "We must play two good matches or we won't go through" | FC Barcelona
History, tradition and a lot of top footballers at the height of their careers. "San Siro is one of the great stadiums in European football and AC Milan is one of the best teams in the world. In the quarter-finals of a competition like this, with an opponent like this one, you must be aware that have to play two excellent games or you won’t go through," said the Barça manager.

Piqué: "The best and the worst is that we know each other well" | FC Barcelona
In the press conference before the Milan-Barça Champions League quarter-final clash, Gerard Piqué talked about what he expects from tomorrow’s match at the San Siro. "The best and the worst thing about this match up is that we know each other. We’ll try to play a good game and it’s clear that scoring away from home is very important in the Champions League."

AC Milan - FC Barcelona: Did you know... | FC Barcelona
The last Champions League tie against the Italian side ended with FC Barcelona crashing out of the competition. It was against Inter Milan in the 2009/10 season (3-1 in Milan and 1-0 at the Camp Nou) The last time Barça faced off against an Italian side in the quarter-finals was in the 2003/04 season. The Catalans were eliminated by Juventus (1-1 in Turin and 1-2 at the Camp Nou)

The reconquest of the San Siro | FC Barcelona
The next stop on the road to Munich is one of the temples of football, nothing less than the San Siro. AC Milan and Barça face each other in the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals – undoubtedly the most enthralling of all the games being played in this round. After all, we are talking about two clubs that have eleven European Cup titles between them.

Signing Ibrahimovic was a mistake, says former Barcelona president Laporta - Goal.com
Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has conceded that bringing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Catalunya in the summer of 2009 was a mistake. The Blaugrana paid a hefty transfer fee to Inter for the services of the Sweden international, and also included Samuel Eto'o in the deal, but Ibrahimovic never felt at ease at Camp Nou and left the club for AC Milan only one year later.

Milan to face Barcelona without Abate - Goal.com
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will have to reshuffle his team's defence for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg clash at home against Barcelona as he will be without right-back Ignazio Abate. The defender picked up a muscular injury in training earlier this month and Milan were initially hopeful that he would be back in time for the game at San Siro.

For defenders, it's going to get Messier | The Age
But having watched Dongou for several months - aged both 15 and 16 - I have to warn the next couple of generations of defenders that they should start having nightmares now just to get in practice. The Cameroon-born striker has the low centre of gravity that made Romario so hard to contain, the ability to calculate an acute angle of snooker champion proportions, and an explosive eruption of pace reminiscent of a cobra's head darting forward to attack.

Messi and Ronaldo - Paired in history - ESPN Soccernet
Many, of course, like to claim that the Spanish league is sufficiently low for the duo to take easy pot-shots from there. But that seems a bit of a red herring. Most tellingly, both players maintain their ridiculous ratios into the Champions League. There is no drop-off between domestic and continental.

Match Report: APOEL 0-3 Real Madrid - Goal.com
Real Madrid recorded a 3-0 triumph over APOEL thanks to a second-half double from Karim Benzema and a single strike from Kaka in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at GSP Stadium. A diving header from the Frenchman, a side-footed finish from the Brazilian and a late tap-in for the former Lyon striker banished any Cypriot hopes of a famous draw.

Spanish stadiums don’t match the football they house | Andy Mitten - Yahoo! Sport UK
Many of Spain's football stadiums last saw significant redevelopment for the 1982 finals, 30 years ago this summer. Then, Camp Nou got an extra tier, Valencia's Mestalla a new lower tier; while Real Madrid and Sevilla were treated to a new roof, Athletic Club a full refurbishment. While there have been developments since, several Spanish stadiums are showing their age, with Camp Nou the most prominent.

Jeremy Toulalan undergoes successful operation - ESPN Soccernet
Malaga midfielder Jeremy Toulalan has successfully undergone an operation on his foot injury.Toulalan, who has missed the last two league matches against Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano after suffering a stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal of his left foot, went under the knife in his home town of Nantes on Tuesday morning.