Puyol thrilled to face AC Milan

Barcelona star Carles Puyol has spoken of his delight after his side were paired with AC Milan in the Champions League round-of-16 draw.

The two-legged tie will be the fifth and sixth time the clubs have met in the Champions League in the past two seasons.

“Personally I am really happy, not because it will be in any way easy, quite the opposite in fact,” Puyol told the UEFA website.

“I am happy because Milan are a team I have always liked and I like playing there. They have an incredible stadium and I am sure this will be a fantastic tie.

“(Last season) we lost the UEFA Champions League and the (La) Liga in practically the same week.

“This time around we have started really well and we hope to continue along that path into 2013.”

Barcelona will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s encounter between the two sides in the knockout stages, when they progressed to the semi-finals 3-1 on aggregate.

The first leg will take place at San Siro on February 20 next year, with the return fixture scheduled for March 12.