Hamburg - Kaka runs into his former teammates when Real Madrid meet AC Milan in a Champions League group match on Wednesday featuring the two most successful clubs in the history of the event. Real are the record champions with nine trophies and Milan follow on seven titles.
"A Real Madrid-Milan game is among the best there is in Europe and we cannot wait for it to be here. It's a good litmus test for us and a good chance to prove what we can do it Europe," said Real defender Alvaro Arbeloa.
The heavyweights last met in 2003 with Real winning 3-1 thanks to Raul Gonzalez's double in the Bernabeu.
Real will hope for the same this time around to take their perfect group record to 3-0, a feat that compatriots Sevilla, French side Olympique Lyon and the English trio of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United also aim to achieve on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The win against Milan six years ago came in the first Galacticos era at Real with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, and the second generation of superstars at the club include Kaka, who made a summer switch from Milan to the Spanish giants.
"There is a new project under way and it includes new players, ideas and concepts. Patience is required. We are working hard and I think we are close to where we want to be. We have only lost one match. There's a long road ahead," Raul told the Real website.
The veteran Raul may steal the headlines again as he warmed up with a double against Valladolid in a 4-2 league win in which he became the Real player with the most appearances.
Real's injury situation is also improving, with midfielders Guti and Fernando Gago close to full fitness and ready for the big match. However, Cristiano Ronaldo, Christoph Metzelder and Ruud Van Nistelrooy are all still injured.
Real have won their first two group games comfortably and are in the lead in Group C, three points above the Italians who crashed 1-0 at home against Swiss side Zurich in their last outing.
Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Pato helped Milan to a badly-needed 2-1 Serie A win over Roma. Veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi could be a factor in Madrid and Gennaro Gattuso was rested on the weekend to be fully ready against Kaka.
"I don't know if tonight's win represents a turning point, but I know that we must have continuity, we know we have talent, but at the same time we must have balance," beleaguered coach Leonardo told the Milan website after the Roma game.
Crosstown rivals Inter, meanwhile, are at the San Siro on Tuesday against Dynamo Kiev in group F, a sort of homecoming for Ukraine star Andriy Shevchenko, who formerly played for Milan and scored 14 goals against Inter during that time.
"My favourite goal is the one in the semi-final of the 2003 Champions League (then won by Milan)," Shevchenko told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "but I hope to score the 15th with Dynamo."
Coach Jose Mourinho is likely to welcome back forward Samuel Eto'o from injury, but his attack package misses the injured Argentine Diego Milito and the suspended Mario Balotelli.
Inter drew their first games in group F and now seek their first victory while leaders and holders Barcelona take on Russian champions Rubin Kazan.
Barca face a mini injury crisis as Seydou Keita, Pedro Rodriguez and Eric Abidal are doubtful and Zlatan Ibrahimovic still feeling pain in his right knee. Their other injury victims are Gabriel Milito and Thierry Henry.
But coach Josep Guardiola said: "It is a shame about these injuries, but they always happen from time to time, and our squad is big enough and good enough to cope."
Of the English quartet, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is waiting on the fitness of Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra ahead of the group B match at CSKA Moscow.
Arsenal are likely to be without Theo Walcott as they travel to Holland to face AZ Alkmaar in Group H and captain Cesc Fabregas has warned against complacency.
"People expect the so-called smaller teams to be easy, but especially away from home those games are tough. They are usually fresher than the English or the Spanish teams because maybe their own league is not as intense," said Fabregas.
Chelsea play bottom side Atletico Madrid in group D while Liverpool take on group E leaders Lyon, still reeling from their latest defeat against Sunderland and its bizarre circumstances with a beach ball.
"We have the quality and the belief we will get back to winning ways soon, hopefully starting on Tuesday against Lyon," said captain Jamie carragher as manager Rafa Benitez sweats on the fitness of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich are at Girondins Bordeaux in a top-of- the-table clash in group A and Sevilla visit Germany's VfB Stuttgart in group G.
