Milan out to avoid repeat

Champions League: Milan should secure their place in the Champions League final tonight by completing victory over PSV, but the Serie A leaders will be taking nothing for granted.

A chastening experience last season will have seen to that.

Carlo Ancelotti's side appeared set for the semi-finals of the competition 13 months ago, after beating Deportivo La Coruna 4-1 at the San Siro in the first leg, but then collapsed astonishingly in the return, losing 4-0 and going out.

"Every season you have such a match in the competition, but I don't expect it will happen this time," Ancelotti said. "We will have luck on our side this year."

This evening in the Netherlands they begin with a 2-0 advantage. "We all know what happened (last year)," said their right-back Cafu. "We must be more attentive. We have a small lead, not a big one. We must exploit it in the best way."

The emphasis could well be on defence and rapier counter-attacks, particularly via the fearsome Andrei Shevchenko and Kaka. Milan will be aware that one goal for them would leave PSV needing to match Deportivo in scoring four times.

PSV created enough chances last week to convince them that the Serie A leaders are not invulnerable, but they paid dearly for wasting those chances and Milan's defence ought to be stronger with Alessandro Nesta available after suspension.

Ancelotti has described this Milan team as superior to the one he guided to the European Cup two seasons ago, and the defence has conceded only three goals in 10 games in this campaign.

Goals by Shevchenko and Jon Dahl Tomasson have given Milan their cushion, but Shevchenko said: "We don't feel like we're in the Champions League final already. We must be prepared to play a very tough match."

PSV's coach Guus Hiddink, who won the European Cup with the club in 1988, said he is wary of Milan's threat on the break and wants his team to be patient.

"We don't have to score early like everyone thinks because, if we can manage to get one at any time, the game will suddenly become very open," he said. "The perfect scenario is to try and get control of the game, but we must not be naive. If we score at any time, the entire complexion of the tie will change.

"We showed in Milan that we can beat this team," he said. "Milan are very experienced but it is up to us to make them look afraid, like we did last week. We made quite an impression but we didn't score. When you play like we did in the second half, you have to take at least one of your chances."

PSV have been dealt a blow with the winger Damarcus Beasley ruled out by a knee injury, but Wilfred Bouma and the Peruvian striker Jefferson Farfan trained yesterday and are expected to play. But Hiddink is without the suspended Andre Ooijer at the back. - Guardian Service

PSV Eindhoven (0) v AC Milan (2) Philips Stadium, 7.45 On TV: RTE2, Sky Sports 1

Probable teams

PSV EINDHOVEN: Gomes; Bogelund, Alex, Bouma, Y-P Lee; van Bommel, Vogel, Cocu; Sung Park, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Farfan

AC MILAN: Dida; Cafu, Stam, Nesta, Maldini; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Kaka, Crespo (or Rui Costa), Shevchenko.

Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)