Real kick-off Champions League second stage at San Siro
AC Milan's clash with holders Real Madrid on Tuesday is the pick of the opening second stage games in the Champions League, which resumes this week.
AC Milan's clash with holders Real Madrid on Tuesday is the pick of the opening second stage games in the Champions League, which resumes this week.
Real, nine-times winners of the European Cup, including three times in the last five seasons, were eliminated from the competition in 1989-90 and 1990-91 in their two most recent meetings with 1994 winners Milan.
The Spanish side, who have also been paired with Borussia Dortmund and Lokomotiv Moscow in Group C, will have to shrug off their poor recent European form to challenge for a 10th title.
Real made a blistering start to the first group phase, winning 3-0 at AS Roma and then thumping Belgian debutants Genk 6-0 at the Bernabeu.
But they then managed just three more points from their remaining four games, including a home defeat by Roma and two draws with AEK Athens.
Roma were pipped to first place in the first-stage standings by Real but will fancy their chances of qualifying from Group B despite facing Ajax, Valencia and Arsenal.
Carlo Ancelotti's new-look Milan side qualified as Group G winners, with stylish first phase wins at Deportivo Coruna and Bayern Munich making Europe sit up and take notice.
A strong Italian challenge is completed by Inter Milan and Juventus, who both begin their second stage campaigns on their travels this week.
Inter, in the same group as 1992 winners Barcelona, visit Newcastle United on Wednesday, while Italian champions Juventus take on Deportivo Coruna on Tuesday.
The jury is still out on whether Hector Cuper's Inter side really have what it takes to mount a serious challenge after a mixed bag of performances in the first phase.
However, a win against Ajax in Amsterdam to secure their progress was a sign that they should not be taken lightly.
Juve's group also includes Manchester United and Basel with the former English and European champions starting against the Swiss, who surprisingly qualified at the expense of Liverpool.
Group B pits the bookmakers's joint second favourites Valencia, Roma and Arsenal together along with Ajax to complete probably the toughest pool of the four.
English champions Arsenal, who play at Roma on Wednesday, will have revenge over Valencia on their minds after the Spanish champions beat them in the quarter-finals two years ago.
Valencia, Champions League runners-up in 2000 and 2001, played some of the most attractive football of the first phase but will hope Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar quickly recovers from a thigh injury that could see him miss the home clash against Ajax on Wednesday.