Pato hungry for European glory at Milan

Pato has never won a UEFA Champions League game at San Siro, but as AJ Auxerre visit AC Milan in Group G the Brazilian does not expect the wait to continue for much longer.

For a team of their stature, Milan's recent European home form has been surprisingly poor; the Rossoneri are without a win in six UEFA club competition games at San Siro. With Real Madrid CF and AFC Ajax to come in Group G, Massimiliano Allegri's side need to break that bad run and fast.

On paper Auxerre are the weakest side in the section but Pato, 21, knows Jean Fernandez's side will be no pushovers. "They are dangerous opponents," the former SC Internacional man insisted, highlighting their triumph over FC Zenit St. Petersburg in the play-offs. "This is going to be a tough game – they were strong enough to have knocked out a club like Zenit. But what I can say is that we're ready to do well."

Yet to win a trophy since joining Milan in the wake of their 2007 UEFA Champions League final success against Liverpool FC, Pato's hunger for glory is undimmed. "I've dreamed about playing in the final, about winning the Champions League, ever since I arrived at this club," he said. "I hope I can do it like I always hoped I could. So this time I want to play in this competition until the end and, yes, I'm pretty sure we're going to make it."

With the club having signed Zlatan Ibrahimović and Robinho over the summer to help him out up front, Pato looked to have risen to the challenge when he scored twice in a 4-0 win against US Lecce in his side's opening Seria A game. A 2-0 loss at promoted AC Cesena on Saturday took some of the edge off that result, but Pato is eager to put that behind him. "I just want to think about tomorrow's game," he said.