Kaká braced for United

By Fernando Duarte

AC Milan midfield player Kaká goes into tonight's UEFA Champions League first knockout round second-leg tie with Manchester United FC at the San Siro admitting he is still haunted by last year's shock elimination by RC Deportivo La Coruña.

Home advantage
The Rossoneri won 4-1 against the Spanish outfit in the first leg of last year's quarter-finals, only to see that lead wiped out in the return - and it is for that reason Kaká fears United can still overturn the 1-0 advantage Milan earned at Old Trafford.

'Only half-time'
"Any away win in the Champions League is really important so we have to be pleased with the result at Old Trafford," the Brazilian told uefa.com. "But that victory only means we're leading in the first half of a 180-minute match, and with another 90 minutes left to play in Milan many things can still happen.

'Important lesson'
"We know that in football you can never take things for granted because of what happened last year when we hammered Deportivo 4-1 in the first leg and still got knocked out. That was a real lesson," he added.

'Timely goal'
Milan's playmaker confessed he was impressed with the United fans in the first leg. "We had more than 60,000 fans against us but we still pressed hard for the win," he said. "It has been said that we were lucky but I don't agree because we scored when the one big opportunity arrived. There was no luck in that. The final result of this tie will not depend on luck."

Impressive tactics
Despite getting the better of Sir Alex Ferguson's men, Kaká was highly impressed by United's counterattacking game at Old Trafford. And he also knows that the return of a fully-fit Ruud van Nistelrooij to United's starting lineup will make Milan's task even harder.

Amazing pace
He said: "The thing that impressed me most about United was their speed on the counterattack. It was absolutely amazing. It is something that we have to be very careful about at the San Siro because United will play on the break. The fact that Van Nistelrooij hadn't played a game for months helped us in the first leg, but he will be sharper this time. Ruud is a fantastic striker, and one of the players that I admire most in the Premiership. He will be dangerous in Milan, that's for sure."

'Favourite position'
With Andriy Shevchenko absent, Kaká said Milan coach Carlo Ancelloti has an attacking dilemma. "Without Shevchenko the coach played me just behind Hernán Crespo at Old Trafford. That is my favourite position. I am just happy to be in the team and will play anywhere for the coach if he thinks I can be useful to him there. But naturally I prefer to play behind the strikers - it is my territory!"

Derby win
Two wins in their last two games, including victory against FC Internazionale Milano, has put Milan joint-top of Serie A. And while Kaká admits it is good for the side's confidence, he believes it will mean nothing on Tuesday.

'Very competitive'
"Winning the Milan derby definitely boosted our confidence and motivation ahead of the United game," he said. "It was a great victory for the fans and I was pleased to score the goal. However, the Champions League is a totally different tournament to Serie A. It's best that we forget the league and focus on this important match. It's going to be very competitive."