Bayern hopes to buck history when it faces Milan in Champions League

Bayern Munich has beaten AC Milan just once in nine matches.

Photo: Bayern hopes to buck history when it faces Milan in Champions League

Bayern hopes to buck history when it faces Milan in Champions League

Luckily for Bayern after its 2-2 draw in Milan last week, a 0-0 or 1-1 draw in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday will allow the German club to advance on away goals.

"We haven't won anything yet," Bayern striker Roy Makaay said. "There are still 90 minutes in which we have to go all out. We all know what we have to do Wednesday."

Bayern and Milan have 10 titles between them in Europe's top club competition. The last of Bayern's four came in 2001 with current coach Ottmar Hitzfeld also in charge. Milan last won in 2003.

Bayern had made the Champions League its priority after falling behind in the Bundesliga. But Bayern is now fourth, six points behind leader Schalke, and appears back in the race with six games left.

On Saturday, Bayern scored a lackluster 2-1 win at Hannover 96.

"We'll have to play 50 percent better than that against Milan," Hitzfeld said.

The win was costly with both scorers against Hannover picking up injuries.

Defensive midfielder Martin Demichelis is likely to miss the Milan game after pulling a calf muscle, and Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger bruised his left knee.

"He would be a big loss, but we still hope he will play," Hitzfeld said of Schweinsteiger.

Veteran midfielder Mehmet Scholl tore a muscle in his right thigh during training and is expected to be out for up to three weeks.

Goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn and midfielder Mark van Bommel will be back after being suspended in the first leg. Hitzfeld also rested Lukas Podolski, Lucio, Owen Hargreaves and Hasan Salihamidzic from the Hannover game.

Milan has included only two forwards for Wednesday's game - Filippo Inzaghi and Ricardo Oliveira.

Alberto Gilardino will miss the match because of accumulated yellow cards, and Ronaldo is ineligible having played for Real Madrid in the early stages of the competition.

Winger Serginho returned from a seven-month injury layoff in Milan's 3-1 win over Empoli on Saturday.

"It was very difficult to be out for seven months and away from what I love doing," Serginho said. "Now, I just want to think about the future. We have important goals ahead of us.

"Now, it's Bayern. They are a side against which I have done well in the past."

French midfielder Yoann Gourcuff played well against Empoli and is looking forward to facing Bayern.

"Naturally it will be a very difficult game for us," Gourcuff said. "We have to start off very strong right away ... If the opposite occurs, if we don't get the lead right away, it will be just as important to remain calm and continue to impose our play.

"In the opening leg, we played well and showed we're superior to Bayern in every aspect. If Milan plays like that it can beat any team."

Inzaghi sat out Saturday's game with a left leg strain, but is expected to start against Bayern.

"Inzaghi will do everything to be there," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "A striker with his experience and his qualities can be decisive in Munich."

Milan captain Paolo Maldini and defenders Alessandro Nesta and Massimo Oddo were also rested against Empoli ahead of the trip to Germany.

"I am a realist - it will be difficult in Munich - but Milan can create problems for Bayern. We have to walk onto the field with the same conviction that we had in the first leg, with the same confidence and brightness to get a good result," Ancelotti said.

"If we play like we did at home for 75 minutes then we have a good chance. This team can go to Germany and win."