The days before a big game can feel as stressful as the match itself. You’re trying to relax, fill the boring hours waiting around by playing cards, video games, watching TV or sleeping. But your hotel is surrounded by fans wishing you well and you keep getting interrupted by phone calls from friends and family.

“You’ve only got two tickets? I thought you were giving me three?” “Why am I not sitting next to Uncle Jimmy?”

Coping with the demands can do a player’s head in – and the chances are that his brain is already scrambled with nerves and excitement before the game.

Two of my old Ireland teammates, Packie Bonner and Gerry Payton, roomed together in Italia 90. They were trying to get some sleep and the phone in their room rang. It was Gerry’s missus, complaining that she had lost her heated hair rollers.

Expert View

I had a fancy for Liverpool, but when I got to Athens I began to have my doubts

Simon Barnes

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BACKGROUND

• Debate: how can Liverpool beat Milan?

• Gerrard calls for heroes to make history

• Two clubs united by darkest days in history

• Istanbul has not scarred us

• The writing’s on the banner

Multimedia

• Athens audiocasts

• Rafael Benitez podcast

• Songs of The Kop

Related Links

• Liverpool supporters foot large bill for Athens

• Benítez puts his faith in pair of ‘rejects’

• The Big Questions

Multimedia

• Road to Athens

• Controlling Kaka

• Gerrard v Gattuso

A couple of friends and relatives can cause more stress than an entire stadium of hostile fans.

The day before the game, teams have a light training session to get a feel for the stadium and the pitch. Surfaces can vary hugely, so that is vital. I hope Rafael BenÍtez, the Liverpool manager, let his players know what the team is last night. No one wants to go to bed feeling uncertain about where they stand.

Like lots of players, I would take sleeping pills. I had a competition with my Ireland roommate, Andy Townsend. We would pop the pills and then have a £10 bet to see who could stay awake the longest. The drugs knocked us out so effectively that usually when we woke up the next day we couldn’t remember who had won.

This evening will be unforgettable for the players. The events of 2005 are surely unrepeatable, but it would be no surprise if it was a close contest again.

Defence

Liverpool 4/5

Milan 3/5

Liverpool It’s the midfield that they need to worry about, not the forwards. Liverpool shouldn’t bother trying to play offside – if you push up as a unit, the Milan midfield will run through from all angles. They can pick a pass and the defence needs to spot those clever runs. Jamie Carragher is the key man.

Milan Experienced and intelligent, so make few mistakes. They’re uncomfortable in the air but love to spend time on the ball. They need to be pressured, otherwise they will move the ball around quickly and feed the midfield to feet. The full backs like to overlap and support the midfield.

Midfield

Liverpool 4

Milan 5

Liverpool Javier Mascherano keeps everything simple. He reads the game well and is reliable. Steven Gerrard is the main man, of course. He can use his endless energy in defence and attack and Milan will struggle to cope with his speed. Liverpool will probably be outnumbered, but a good display by Gerrard will make up for it. The wingers must track back.

Milan The most talented midfield in world football and essential to their success. Power, flair, experience, goals, excellent movement that makes them hard to pick up and requires constant concentration. But they are not blisteringly quick and defensively they rely on Gennaro Gattuso. A strict referee might view some of his tackles as fouls. He should do.

Attack

Liverpool 4

Milan 2

Liverpool Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt will pose an aerial threat, as long as they receive good service from out wide. Kuyt can help defensively, too, by dropping into midfield if he is not seeing much of the ball. If he hassles Milan and reduces their time in possession, that will help to reduce the potency of the midfield.

Milan Unusual in that the forwards are more about movement than goalscoring. They are out of the game for long periods and shouldn’t give Liverpool too much to worry about. Their main aim seems to be to distract the defence and free up space for the attacking midfield players.

Style

Liverpool 3½

Milan 4½

Liverpool Relatively predictable and direct, but effective and good at making the most of what they have. There aren’t really any tricky players who can conjure a goal out of nothing, as can Kaká, the Milan playmaker, o Cristiano Ronaldo, the Manchester United winger, although John Arne Riise and Steven Gerrard pop up with a spectacular hit now and again.

Milan A team worthy of their fashionable city. So comfortable on the ball, good technique and creative potential throughout the team – even the defenders can play. And there is physical strength, pragmatism and grit as well as flair. Not likely to run out of ideas.

Manager

Liverpool 4½

Milan 4

Liverpool Rafael Benítez is a talented tactician in European competition. Domestically, it is a different story, but I think he will get his tactics and team selection right this evening. He is naturally cautious but must realise that a bold approach is important against Milan.

Milan Carlo Ancelotti coach, has overseen a gradual improvement in performances this season and is lucky to benefit from such an experienced and stable squad. They will not need much of a team talk, but most opposition managers have not asked enough questions of his team in Europe this season. Let’s see how he responds if Liverpool turn up the heat.

Support

Liverpool 5

Milan 3½

Liverpool It will be like a Merseyside invasion in Athens this evening, as it was in Istanbul two years ago. The atmosphere was fantastic at Anfield in the semi-final, second leg against Chelsea and it will be again here, a wall of colour and noise that cannot help but inspire Liverpool’s players. Bet no fans leave at half-time tonight, no matter what the score.

Milan Will be outnumbered, probably by far, but as anyone who has been to the San Siro will know, their supporters are hugely passionate. Milan’s players are mostly veterans so they will not be intimidated by the English team’s fans. But it will be interesting to see what effect tens of thousands of noisy Liverpudlians will have on the referee.

Mood

Liverpool 5

Milan 5

Liverpool Players cannot help but feel upbeat – it doesn’t get any better than this. With weakened teams picked in the past few Barclays Premiership games, Liverpool should be fresh. Will the comeback in 2005 give them confidence? Maybe, but the players will be honest and think: “That was a one-off, we can’t afford to go behind like that again.”

Milan Carlo Ancelotti rested his first-choice team against Udinese on Saturday, so Milan will be sharp and fit. Revenge? It is not the right word for a team who are so calculating, but they will feel they owe Liverpool. Of their players, you can only see Gennaro Gattuso losing his cool if it goes against them.

Overall Liverpool 30/35 Milan 27/35

Liverpool will win if they use two strikers and go for the jugular. It should be an open game because Milan will want to defend deep to create space for their talented midfield players to work their magic.

That is a worry for Liverpool, but they have quicker players who will benefit from more room. If Steven Gerrard is on song, he should be too hot for the Milan players to handle.

With their forwards, Liverpool will be a handful at set-pieces, but you do not want to give the likes of Kaká and Andrea Pirlo the opportunity to strike a dead ball 25 yards from goal.

Liverpool are better in defence and attack; it is up to them to ensure that Milan’s midfield players are not the difference between the teams. If they are allowed to play, the English team could struggle to contain them.