Milan: Great teams are above complaining, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said as he tried to avoid criticising a dreadful San Siro pitch and controversial refereeing during his team's 0-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg draw with AC Milan on Wednesday.
"To win the Champions League, you have to overcome a lot of things, that's what makes some sportsmen better than others," Guardiola told reporters. "Things happen and you have to overcome them. We have won a lot in the last four years, but we have also drawn and lost matches. After a draw or defeat, we have never complained about a refereeing decision or the pitch, maybe we have done so after winning but not after a draw or defeat."
Barcelona players felt that they should have had a penalty early in the match when forward Alexis Sanchez appeared to be tripped by Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati. Their players also struggled to keep their footing on a San Siro pitch where huge divots were frequently thrown up. "If UEFA wants teams to put on a spectacle, they have to overcome problems like this," Guardiola said. "I don't think it's [AC] Milan or Inter Milan's problem, I think the problem is with the stadium."
Guardiola also heaped praise on his defence, often overshadowed by the exploits of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol snuffed out the threat of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Milan frontline. "Mascherano and Puyol were impeccable," he said.
Meanwhile, after successfully frustrating Messi and Barcelona, Milan believe they can oust the title-holders in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Nou Camp next week. Despite playing at home and managing only 38 per cent of possession, coach Massimiliano Allegri was delighted with Wednesday's 0-0 draw and, above all, the commitment of his side, and is confident his side can sneak an away goal next Tuesday.
"I've always said that I'm lucky enough to train a great group of professionals and even the players who aren't on the pitch, even the ones who watch from the stands, they're always ready when they're called upon," he said.
Messi was harried, hounded and pushed by the Milan defenders who often used a rotation system, where defenders take it in turns to give away free kicks, to bring his trademark runs at the heart of their defence to an abrupt end. Midfielder Massimo Ambrosini, standing in for the intimidating Mark van Bommel in midfield, Luca Antonini and 36-year-old Alessandro Nesta, who replaced the injured Thiago Silva at the heart of the defence, were excellent as Milan, seven-time European champions, held firm.
"This draw should give us trust and courage," said Ambrosini. "There was the right spirit tonight, before, during and after the match. We'll go to Barcelona with trust in ourselves. The squad deserve praise, as do the fans. We'll have the same spirit there as well. We have to be honest, we're facing a team that has defined their era of football but we'll go there and play."
Ambrosini himself was showered with praise by his team-mates. "Ambrosini was a real gladiator, he fought for every ball both in defence and attack," said Antonini, who had something of a journeyman career, being loaned from club to club, before he joined Milan in 2008. "I saved a goal from Alexis Sanchez as I had the timing and the reflexes to slide in on time and take the ball away from him. It was a bit of skill and a bit of luck. We faced them on equal terms and that gives us the strength to go to the Nou Camp and play for a place in the semi-finals."
Barcelona are expecting to face more of the same at home next week, knowing that if Milan can sneak an away goal, they face a struggle to retain the title.
"We know how experienced they are, they have a lot of clever players, so I think the next game will be the same because they defend so well," said Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano. "But we have a lot of players in attack that can put on a good show, score goals and win us the match."
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