AC Milan come into the second leg against Barcelona in the Champions League with a real chance of progressing to the quarter-final stage of the competition, as they lead the Spanish club 2-0 on aggregate.

The Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has said that his players should be patient and confident if they are to complete the job in the second leg. It will be one of the most difficult tasks for Milan this season, as Barcelona have been one of the best teams in Europe over the last few years. They may come into the match on the back of a poor run of form, but they still pose a lot of threat according to Allegri.

Barcelona have their chances in the first leg, but Milan were extremely clinical in the finishing that has helped them build the significant advantage. However, Allegri reckons that the team has to play even better than they did in the first leg to complete the job. Milan have a history of performing badly in the second leg after doing extremely well in the first. The team had almost a similar experience last season when they almost let a four goal lead slip in the tie against Arsenal. Milan have not been beaten in the last 15 matches of all competitions.

“We want to stand up to Barcelona. I think we will have to perform better than we did in the first leg [if we want to win]. Tomorrow night we will have to improve. The boys will need to be good in attack and make the most of their opportunities. We must remain calm – this is a game like any other,” said Allegri ahead of the second leg encounter. They prepared for this match with a 2-0 win over Genoa that moved them within two points of Napoli during the weekend.