Champions League / Dave Farrar / 03 November 2009 / Leave a comment

When these two met a couple of weeks ago it produced a 2-3 thriller but since then the tables have turned and as AC Milan go from strength to strength, Real Madrid are in trouble and coach Pellegrini is under huge pressure, says Dave Farrar.

"Whether Real are good enough to keep out Pato and Inzaghi, I’m not so sure. They conceded twice in Zurich, three times at home against Milan, and I fancy Milan to be good enough and motivated enough to win this."

After being keen to oppose them over the last three weeks, maybe now is the time to start believing in Milan. The turnaround engineered by Leonardo at the San Siro has been nothing short of astounding.

When his team trailed ten man Atalanta 1-0 with seven minutes to go, the coach was half way out of the door, but Ronaldinho's equaliser probably saved his job, and since then, wins against Roma, Real Madrid, Chievo and Parma have set the club in the right direction.

The old frailties are still there, as they showed in stoppage time in Naples, but the Brazilian deserves immense credit for the tactical changes and the man management which have moved Milan into the top four in Serie A. On Tuesday night, it's the opposing coach who is under pressure, with Manuel Pellegrini's potential successors already being talked about openly in the Spanish media. If Milan should win, then Pellegrini will probably be gone by the weekend, and there are plenty of reasons for believing that the home side shouldn't be the outsiders for this one.

Madrid's defeat by Alcorcon is the Copa Del Rey was an embarrassment, and there are clearly problems in the camp. They may have shown great spirit to beat Getafe on Saturday with ten men, but they are not the same team without Cristiano Ronaldo, and will rely almost entirely on the brilliant Gonzalo Higuain to put the Milan back line under pressure.

Milan are looking better defensively by the week, and the fact that Alessandro Nesta is fit to take his place alongside the improving Thiago Silva is great news for Leonardo.

Whether Real are good enough to keep out Pato and Inzaghi, I'm not so sure. They conceded twice in Zurich, three times at home against Milan, and I fancy Milan to be good enough and motivated enough to win this. The Rossoneri have found their rhythm, and, unlike Leonardo a couple of weeks ago, I don't think that Pellegrini will get the miracle that he needs to save his job.

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