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Michel Platini: 'Champions League will be wide open if Barcelona go out'

Platini: 'Champions League will be wide open if Barca go out'
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UEFA president Michel Platini claims that the Champions League will be wide open if Barcelona are knocked out by AC Milan.

UEFA president Michel Platini has claimed that the Champions League will be wide open if Barcelona go out.

Barca face AC Milan at home this week, having lost the first leg of their last-16 tie at the San Siro 2-0.

Platini believes that anyone can win the competition and also praises his former side Juventus for using homegrown players.

"I've followed Juve for years, they are strong and I like their national identity," Platini told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Sometimes they are playing with nine Italians. In the Champions League, it will be wide open if Barcelona exit.

"It may even happen that Milan sold [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva and are without [Mario] Balotelli, but can beat Barca. It will not be easy to recover the 2-0 loss, even for them."

The match between Barcelona and Milan takes place on Tuesday at 7.45pm.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona18122450203038
2Atletico MadridAtletico17115131112038
3Real Madrid17114237162137
4Athletic Bilbao1896327161133
5Villarreal177642928127
6Mallorca188371821-327
7Real Sociedad177461611525
8GironaGirona187472625125
9Osasuna176742225-325
10Real BetisBetis176652021-124
11Sevilla176471823-522
12Rayo Vallecano175661920-121
13Celta Vigo176382528-321
14Las PalmasLas Palmas175482227-519
15Leganes174671523-818
16Getafe173771114-316
17AlavesAlaves174491928-916
18Espanyol1743101629-1315
19Real ValladolidValladolid1833121237-2512
20Valencia162591424-1011


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