Costacurta signs off as Milan focus on Athens

Legendary defender Alessandro Costacurta bid an emotional farewell at the San Siro on Saturday but there were only muted end-of-term goodbyes to the Milan crowd from their Champions League finalists.

Not one of the 11 players expected to line up against Liverpool in Athens on Wednesday featured in a 3-2 home defeat to Udinese that was all about the retiring 41-year-old.

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Striker Filippo Inzaghi led the applause and AC Milan's European Cup Final team — all wearing replica shirts emblazoned with Costacurta's No 5 — came on the pitch after the final whistle, but the celebrations were over swiftly as minds were focused on the revenge mission planned for Greece.

Costacurta, who is joining Carlo Ancelotti's coaching staff after 20 seasons and 459 appearances for the Rossoneri, played out of position in centre midfield and scored his first Serie A goal since the 1991-92 season from the penalty spot before being withdrawn after an hour.

The four-time European champion knows everything there is to know about the continent's top prize. Against Udinese he led a side which contained two gifted fringe players, both of whom are chomping at the bit to be let loose on Rafa Benitez's side who embarrassed Milan in the 2005 Final when they fought back from 3-0 down at half-time to win on penalties. Marco Borriello, 24, and Cristian Brocchi, 31, will be on the bench at the Olympic Stadium but they are ready-made replacements for Ancelotti's arguably most effective duo, Kaka and Gennaro Gattuso.

The fact that Borriello and Brocchi cannot break into the first team says everything about the quality of Ancelotti's squad and the enormity of Liverpool's task in repeating their 2005 heroics. Beware the players on the pitch and the boys on the bench, Mr Benitez.

Probable Milan team v Liverpool (4-4-1-1): Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf; Kaka; Gilardino.