Carlo Ancelotti is predicting a bruising battle when his AC Milan side face Boca Juniors in the Club World Cup final today, with both sides ready to make history.
"I think it will be a very aggressive, open game," the Milan coach said. "Boca's defensive line is not well controlled and not so strong but they are very aggressive overall. We must keep ourselves highly motivated."
Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo said: "We want to show Boca's style. I think it will be a very good game with both sides full of big players. A defensive error would cost dearly. The midfield holds the key to both teams. We will just move forward with the ball."
Both the Serie A side and Argentina's most crowned club won the Intercontinental Cup three times before the traditional Europe-South America contest was merged into the Club World Cup in 2005.
It will be a record-breaking fourth honor when one claims the mantle of the world's top club today and Milan have a score to settle after losing to Boca on penalties in the 2003 Intercontinental final.
Ancelotti said that Brazilian playmaker Kaka, who set up the winning goal for Clarence Seedorf in Milan's 1-0 win over Japan's Urawa Reds in the semi-final on Thursday, will lead the offense again.
"We know how wonderful he is, but we can stop Kaka. They will have to stop [Martin] Palermo and [Rodrigo] Palacio as well," Russo said.
"Anything could happen in the final, especially against Boca," Kaka said. "We must be prepared."
The 25-year-old Brazilian said about the 2003 event: "I don't like the word `revenge.' In 2003 Boca won and it ended there, closed story."
The pride of European soccer may be also at stake after Sao Paulo beat Liverpool in the inaugural Club World Cup and Internacional defeated Barcelona last year.
Kaka, who won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award for the best player of the year before coming to Japan, admitted this event was seen in Europe as a "bonus" after the Champions League.
"For us South Americans it's a very important trophy, and my teammates and I shall do everything to win it," Kaka said.
Milan, who have won the Champions League and Super Cup this year, arrived here unusually early this time despite a tight schedule at home -- a full week before their first match against Urawa.
Boca came one day later and also struggled 1-0 against Tunisia's Etoile Sahel in the other semi-final on Wednesday, where Neri Cardozo scored the only goal.
"It's a nice coincidence, perhaps unique," mused Milan's 30-year-old hardman midfielder Massimo Ambrosini, referring to the Rossoneri's Champions League final win over Liverpool last May which avenged their defeat two years earlier.
"It's incredible that we will face Boca and that to get there we had to beat Liverpool," he said.
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