Associated Press

Istanbul, May 24:

With 10 titles between them and some of the game’s best forwards, AC Milan and Liverpool have the ingredients to play a Champions League final thriller. But two stubborn defences could make sure that doesn’t happen. Six-time champion Milan has four of the most experienced defenders in world soccer, led by team captain Paolo Maldini — chasing his fifth winners medal in his seventh final — and Brazilian star Cafu, who has played in the last three World Cup finals. Alessandro Nesta and Dutch defender Jaap Stam, who have each played 67 times for their countries, also are expected to face Liverpool. That means the number of international appearances by the expected back four amounts to 396 games. They are playing in front of a goalkeeper, Dida, who has played 74 times for his country. In their first final in 20 year, four-time winner Liverpool will field a rearguard that didn’t concede a goal away from home against either of the newly crowned champions of Italy and England — Juventus and Chelsea.

Even with a Milan lineup with talented forwards Andriy Shevchenko, Kaka and Hernan Crespo — and Liverpool with Euro 2004 top scorer Milan Baros — the talk of Wednesday’s game at Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium is about defense. “I think Liverpool is going to play the only game it has, that is based a strong defence and this is the same game Milan wants to do,” said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. “But Milan can play building from defence.” Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez, who led Valencia to a UEFA Cup final triumph, knows his team’s strength is defence. And he isn’t promising any thrills. “Some people are afraid to lose,” he said. “But we have nothing to lose and a lot of things to win. We will use the style we use to win a lot of games and, if it’s possibility to play well, then for sure we will.”

“We have the kind of players and the style of football to do well. We will look for the weak points of Milan.” That means counter-attacking through talented midfielders Gerrard, Xavi Alonso and Luis Garcia and hoping that Baros can recapture the scoring touch of the European Championship 11 months ago. Two years ago, Ancelotti’s team won the title after a penalty shootout against Juventus at Old Trafford, and there’s every chance Milan may have to beat Liverpool the same way. Both coaches said an early goal will open the game up. If neither side decides to attack, however, the result could be a game that will delight the soccer purists, but frustrate those who want European soccer’s biggest game to be a showpiece. Although Milan is in its 10th final and Liverpool its sixth, the two traditional powerhouse teams have never met before in a European competition. Milan, which lost its first appearance in a final in 1958, has collected titles on a regular basis while Liverpool’s four triumphs came between 1977-84 when the Italian club was going through a bad spell.