AC Milan offer Barcelona rude awakening

The unprecedented interest in football nowadays, particularly at the top of the game, means we are treated to a myriad camera angles, views and statistics.

Managers and coaches will monitor a player’s performance while the media will list endless reams of numbers and percentages to analyse a game.

This was none more so than at the Nou Camp on Tuesday, where Barcelona kicked-off the defence of their European crown against 2007 winners AC Milan, which are tipped by Serie A betting odds to win the domestic title again this season.

The usual stats were in Barca’s favour; possession hovered around 75% as it always does, regardless of the quality of the opposition. The other ‘match facts’ also fell on the side of the Catalans. Corners: 11-2, Shots: 22-6, Shots on target: 7-3, even fouls and offsides were more heavily accrued by Pep Guardiola’s men, understandably clear favourites in the La Liga betting  as well as in the Champions League standings.

But despite all that, the little graphic in the top corner of the screen or beamed from the scoreboard was the one that mattered. And Barca paid the price for failing to alter that killer statistic – the score.

A goal barely 30 seconds into the game and another barely 30 seconds from the end, gave Milan a point that seemed improbable for most of the much.

Barca were clearly stung by Pato’s early strike, the Brazilian striker exposing the lack of pace in the centre of defence, as well as the fallibility exposed by playing two midfielders – Javier Macherano and Sergio Busquets – in place of the injured defensive duo Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol.

We then saw what many consider to be the best and worst of Barca. At times their football was stunning, and the skill by Lionel Messi to set-up the equaliser for Pedro was well as the precision of David Villa to bury a second half free kick – were dazzling.

But as Milan’s already feeble attacking threat faded we were again treated to the Barcelona possession show. Their ability to keep possession is to be admired and comes as second nature to them. The way they stroked the ball around suggested they were playing a Segunda Division team, not the seven-time European Champions.

But it is so easy for them they can easily forget to kill the game off. The final 20 minutes saw Barca holding Milan at arms length, but failing to really force home their advantage.

Even in the most one sided of games, the opposition will get one chance. And so it proved for Milan in the third minute of stoppage time. Barca, never the strongest in the air even with Puyol and Pique, were hit with the sucker punch and an opening round win was denied, just like it was last weekend when Real Sociedad came back to secure a point. Maybe those La Liga odds aren’t so accurate after all?

The presence of BATE Borisov and Viktoria Plze? in the group means qualification should be a formality. But should Milan win their games against the minnows as expected, Barca may have to win at the San Siro to avoid only going through as group runners-up and the harder knock-out game that may bring.

It seems even the best need to improve from time to time.