AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti hopes his side would be able to repeat last season's success by winning another UEFA Champions League title this term. The Rossoneri open their title defense against Portugal's Benfica at San Siro on Tuesday, and Ancelotti is aiming to clinch his favorite trophy. "At the start of every season the Champions League is our most important objective and this year is no different, this tournament is special and we will give our all to win it again," he said. "It's very hard to win it back-to-back, this tournament is particularly hard. Everything has to go your way but winning two in a row is an added incentive for us." Ancelotti hopes his team could give a better performance than Saturday's 1-1 draw with Siena, when star man Kaka returns to the squad.
Rui Costa faces his old team "In Europe you play against the highest level of club opposition and Benfica will be more attack-minded than Siena, So it will be a different Milan, one with an attack – and Kaka is back," said the Milan coach. Kaka, who inspired Milan during last year's European exploit scoring ten goals in the competition, was rested during the Serie A game, where Milan escaped defeat with a late equalizer. Benfica skipper and former Milan playmaker Rui Costa also believes that the Brazilian superstar is a key figure for the European champions. "He deserves the Ballon d'Or because he is both an extraordinary player and an extraordinary person," said the Portuguese midfielder, who deems a lot of respect for his former team. "AC Milan are the best team in the world. They are very compact, organized, full of big names; but that doesn't make them unbeatable."
