Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has dismissed AC Milan's chances of beating reigning La Liga and European champions Barcelona, when the two sides lock horns in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Wenger believes Milan have "no chance" of making it to the finals of the tournament, to be played in Munich, Germany.
Barcelona and Milan will renew the season's rivalry in Europe, after having been drawn in the same group during the initial stages of this year's tournament. On those two occasions, the La Liga club drew 2-2 at home and beat Milan 3-2 at the San Siro, on their way to the top of the group.
"Barcelona are the super favourites for the trophy," the Frenchman was quoted as saying, in an ESPN report. "Milan have no chance of winning the Champions League. Milan play well as a team and they can count on a great player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but I don't think that they are at the level required. They have some weak points," he added.
Wenger has had recent experience (not always good, it must be said) of playing both the Italians and the Spaniards.
Milan knocked Arsenal out of this season's Champions League in the previous round, after a 4-3 aggregate win (Arsenal lost the first leg 0-4, away from home, before setting up a thrilling finish to the tie with a 3-0 win over Massimiliano Allegri's side at the Emirates).
Arsenal have also had experience of playing Barcelona in the Champions League, most famously in the finals of the 2005/06 edition of the tournament, when the Spaniards scored twice in the last 15 minutes to win 2-1. More recently, the two sides met in the Round of 16 in the 2011/12 Champions League, when the Gunners lost 3-4 on aggregate.
