MILAN - Seven-time winner AC Milan is in the unfamiliar position of being the overwhelming underdog when it hosts Atletico Madrid in the first leg of its Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday. [url=https://www.cheapjerseysreview.com/]Cheap Jerseys Review[/url] . Atleticos best finish in the compe

MILAN - Seven-time winner AC Milan is in the unfamiliar position of being the overwhelming underdog when it hosts Atletico Madrid in the first leg of its Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday. Cheap Jerseys Review . Atleticos best finish in the competition is runner-up 40 years ago but it is top of the Spanish league along with Barcelona and Real Madrid, and qualified from its group with an almost perfect record — slipping in a 1-1 draw at Zenit St. Petersburg. Milan is going through another transitional year and is under the guidance of inexperienced coach Clarence Seedorf. The Italian team is further hampered by injuries and suspensions. Despite its difficulties, Milan is the only Italian team to progress to the knockout stages. Can it pull off a shock? Here are five things to know about the match: KAKA CONCERN: Talismanic AC Milan playmaker Kaka expects to be fully fit in time. Kaka recovered from the flu to play in Fridays 1-0 victory over Bologna but had to be replaced 10 minutes from time after injuring his right ankle. The Brazilian returned to training on Monday. "After Fridays win, were confident and ready for Wednesday," said Kaka, who scored against Celtic in the group stage. AC Milan is without Sulley Muntari and captain Riccardo Montolivo, who are both suspended, and Stephan El Shaarawy, Valter Birsa, Robinho and Bryan Cristante, who are all injured. Cristian Zapata is also doubtful with injury. New signing Keisuke Honda is cup tied, having played in the Champions League this season for CSKA Moscow. MILAN MISERY: AC Milan looks to the Champions League as a welcome distraction from its domestic woes. Milan lies ninth in the Serie A after the exact same number of wins, draws and defeats — eight. Its mediocre form got coach Massimiliano Allegri sacked at the beginning of the year, and former player Clarence Seedorf replaced him. It is the 37-year-olds first managerial experience. However, Seedorf knows the tournament better than most. The Dutchman lifted the trophy the last time Milan won the competition, in 2007, and is the only player to have won the league with three different clubs — Ajax, Real Madrid and Milan twice. "They are favourites in every area, but the Champions League is something different," Seedorf said. "I am confident but it will be difficult. We need to have a very great game. "The 2007 Champions League represents the characteristics of this tournament. You can give so much more if you are all together. That year we werent at the highest level, but we changed in the Champions League. We have to do so again now." SAN SIRO STAGEFRIGHT? Atletico will be relieved goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will play after a recent dip while the Belgium goalie was sidelined by injury. Courtois has been instrumental in helping Atletico share the lead in the Spanish league and for finishing the league group stage undefeated. The first leg away will not daunt Atletico, their goalkeeper insists. "We wont be intimidated by (the San Siro). Weve already managed good results at difficult stadiums such as Sevilla, or Bilbao," Courtois said. "We also went into the group stage with little experience and succeeded. If we maintain the same intensity as we have in the league all season we shouldnt have any problems." Courtois expects his teammates to keep Mario Balotelli from breaking out: "Im not sure how well defend against him, Im sure the coach knows, however." ATLETICOS TWO DIEGOS: While David Villa has returned from injury to be available, Atletico will be leaning on a pair of Brazilian Diegos at San Siro. Striker Diego Costa and midfielder Diego Ribas are expected to be key players. Diego Costa recovered his scoring touch in a 3-0 win over Valladolid on Saturday, while Diego Ribas is showing the form of two seasons ago when he helped Atletico win the Europa League. "I like important games like this. Atletico is a big club and we should be playing these types of games," Diego Costa said. "They certainly motivate you, so going to play at the San Siro will be memorable. We can get a result there." SIMEONES MILAN LINK: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone knows San Siro well. He spent two seasons there as a player with Inter Milan from 1997-99. In that period Inter drew three times against Milan in the league, winning once. It also suffered a hefty 5-0 defeat in the Italian Cup. Also, Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati spent the 2007-08 season on loan at Atletico. Cheap Jerseys For Sale .com) - The Dallas Mavericks had a five-game winning streak snapped last time out, but theyll try to get back into the winners circle Sunday evening when the Milwaukee Bucks pay a visit to American Airlines Center. NFL Jerseys From China . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. https://www.cheapjerseysreview.com/ . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee.PHOENIX - A group of Mets players gathered around the television in the clubhouse to watch a replay of Kirk Nieuwenhuis homer a couple of hours earlier. Off the crack of the bat, one player shouted: "Get in the pool!" Nieuwenhuis just missed a splashdown but was on the mark in his season debut. Called up from the minors after Juan Lagares went on the disabled list, Nieuwenhuis had three hits, three RBIs and made a diving catch in centre field to lead New York to a 9-0 rout of the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. "Three years ago, he was a guy people thought was going to be an offensive centre fielder people thought could run, play the game the right way and had some power," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "But some injuries have kept him down a little bit. Hopefully this is his chance to come up and produce." Struggling heading into the three-game series, the Mets have gotten hot in the desert. New York had 13 hits to win the opener and had 12 more to ensure a winning record on its nine-game road trip. Nieuwenhuis had the big highlight, a two-run homer to the pool deck at Chase Field in the Mets six-run fourth inning off Bronson Arroyo (1-1). Eric Young Jr. had three hits and two RBIs, and Andrew Brown drove in two. New York also got solid pitching, something thats been rare this season. Jenrry Mejia (2-0) tossed five effective innings before leaving with a torn blister, combining with Gonzalez Germen and Kyle Farnsworth on a three-hitter for a second straight decisive victory over Arizona. "It was a good win for us," Nieuwenhuis said. "Hopefully we can keep it going." The Diamondbacks had another awful night on the mound, losing their seventh straight home game and eighth in nine at Chase Field. Arroyo allowed 10 runs in less than four innings and Arizona has given up 38 — most of those by the starters — through the first five games of a homestand that ends Wednesday against the Mets. At 4-14, the Diamondbacks have matched the worst start in team history (1998). "Last year, it was the bullpen giving it up and this year its just the inverse," manager Kirk Gibson said. "That part is very frustrating." Mejia struggled with walks during his first two starts — nine in 11 innings — but was hiitting his spots against the Diamondbacks. Best Site Buy China Jerseys. He was perfect through three innings and didnt allow a hit until Paul Goldschmidt sneaked a single inside third base with one out in the fourth. Mejia escaped a jam in the fifth inning and got some defensive help from Nieuwenhuis, who made a sliding catch in centre to rob Mark Trumbo of a hit. Mejia tore a blister on his right index finger and didnt come out for the sixth after allowing two hits. "Until the blister started to act up, he threw the ball very well," Collins said. "About the fifth inning, we knew the finger was getting hot and were hoping to get another 20 pitches out of him, but didnt get that." Arroyo got an extra day of rest between starts, but it didnt seem to do him much good. New York jumped on him from the start, stringing together three straight singles and scoring three runs in the first inning. Nieuwenhuis capped the outburst with a run-scoring single up the middle. It got much worse for Arroyo in the fourth. Nieuwenhuis added his pool-deck homer to right-centre and Young followed with a two-run single to left. New York scored another run on a single and error by centre fielder A.J. Pollock and went up 9-0 on Browns fielders choice. Arroyo allowed 10 runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings. "It was 3-0 after the first inning and thats exactly what we couldnt have on this ballclub right now," Arroyo said. "It just kills the morale of a team when youre losing constantly and giving up runs a lot, then you give up a three-spot early on. It just grew from there." About the only thing that went right for the Diamondbacks came in the fifth inning when Gibson challenged a close play at first and had it overturned on replay — with the score 9-0. Mejia got two weak groundouts with two on to end the inning. NOTES: Mets RF Curtis Granderson was out of the lineup after he injured his left forearm and ribs colliding with the outfield wall Monday night. He is day to day. ... New Yorks David Wright extended his hitting streak to seven games. ... Arizona RHP Brandon McCarthy, scheduled to start Wednesday, has a 1.16 ERA in four starts against NL East teams. ... Mets RHP Dillon Gee, who will start Wednesday, allowed four earned runs over five innings in his only start at Chase Field. ' ' '