Málaga faces Porto test

The second round of last-16 Champions League matches pits four-time winner Barcelona against Milan (Wednesday, 8.45pm on Canal + Liga de Campeones), which has lifted the trophy seven times, at the San Siro, and Málaga, this season's surprise package, against Porto (Tuesday, 8.45pm on TVE1).

Barcelona is the overwhelming favorite to reach the quarterfinals despite Milan's pedigree. The Italian giant is a team in transition after years of reliance on veteran players and its main threat comes in the form of Stephan El Shaarawy, the electric forward with the crazy hair.

Mario Balotelli, signed from Manchester City in January, is cup-tied but a familiar face in Bojan Krkic, the former Barcelona forward, will be available to renew acquaintances with his old teammates. Lionel Messi, the Barcelona forward, reached 301 goals for the club with a brace in Sunday's 2-1 win over Granada and has already banged in 49 goals this season.

Balotelli is cup-tied but Bojan Krkic will be available to renew acquaintances with his old teammates

Málaga, meanwhile, travels to Oporto to face the 2004 winner in its first-ever taste of European knockout competition. Manuel Pellegrini's side plays some wonderful attacking soccer and likewise Porto, which has the livewire Jackson Martínez in its ranks and a host of supporting stars who like to pour forward with neat passes and quick movement.

Málaga goes into the game on the back of a 1-0 home win over Athletic in which Pellegrini did not chance his arm by resting his star players. As so many times this season, keeper Willy Caballero was the difference between zero or one points and three, making a string of fine saves to keep Athletic at bay. The Argentinean will be kept occupied on Tuesday and Málaga must hope that his run of incredible form continues long enough to deny Martínez and fellow Ecuadorian defense-botherer James Rodríguez from adding to their season's tallies.