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AC Milan turns focus to Liverpool
AC Milan's chances of winning the Italian league title have just about slipped out of its grasp.
"We have to be realistic now and prepare for the big match," midfielder Clarence Seedorf said Tuesday at the team's training camp. "There are still two [Serie A] games to go, but Juventus would have to lose both." Milan trails Juventus by five points with only two rounds remaining. Two years ago, the Serie A season was long over by the time Milan beat Juventus in an all-Italian Champions League final in Manchester, England. "I think we'll come in with the same great form of Manchester two years ago," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "This team was just coming together two years ago. Now we've been winning for a while." Last season, Milan won the Italian league. Ancelotti still has all 11 starters from the 2003 final, plus key additions such as Brazil's Kaka and Netherlands defender Jaap Stam. "This team is stronger than two years ago because we've added more strong players," captain Paolo Maldini said. Kaka, a 23-year-old playmaker, will be playing his first European final. "It's a great honor to play for Milan, a team with so much history. Paolo is playing his seventh final. Hopefully I'm just starting my streak," he said. English media provided the biggest presence Tuesday at the official Champions League international media day at Milanello -- Milan's training camp -- and the line of questioning made apparent a general fear of another 0-0 draw and penalty shootout like Milan's victory over Juve two years ago. Liverpool's strength is its defense, and Milan has one of the most well known backlines in the world with Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Cafu and Stam. "It could be a similar type of game," Ancelotti said. "Although not too much. We have a great defense and a great goalkeeper. But Milan is not a team built to defend, it's a team designed to attack." The only question in Ancelotti's lineup could be in attack. Filippo Inzaghi has finally recovered from a series of injuries that kept him out most of the season and could challenge Hernan Crespo for the right to start alongside top striker Andiry Shevchenko. "Inzaghi's in good form, he's one of the freshest players on the team because he hasn't played much. He's available just like everyone else," Ancelotti said. "[Massimo] Ambrosini is probably the only player who won't be available." Ambrosini, a midfielder who scored the key goal against PSV Eindhoven in the semifinals, hurt his left leg against league-rival Lecce on Sunday. He may not have started against Liverpool anyhow, with Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Seedorf all in good form. As for Liverpool's lineup, Ancelotti is not worried much about which striker Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez chooses to start in his single-forward lineup. "[Milan] Baros is a very crafty player and Djibril Cisse is one of the strongest players, but I don't think it will make much of a difference to play against one or the other," Ancelotti said. Milan is a big favorite against Liverpool, but so were Juventus and Chelsea in the quarterfinals and semifinals. "Any team that makes the final is a great team," said Seedorf, who will be playing in his fourth final. "Liverpool is a historic club. Last year a club that nobody knew won the Champions League, so you have to be very careful." Last season, unheralded FC Porto won the Champions League title.
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