Essien: Milan must work hard to beat Atletico

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien has admitted that AC Milan will need to give their all in order to stop Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

The two sides will meet next week Wednesday at San Siro in the first leg of the round of 16 encounter.

Atletico, the Copa Del Rey holders have been one of the most disciplined teams in Europe this term. They currently share the La Liga summit with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Essien, who spent last season on a season-long loan deal at the Santiago Bernabeu told the AC Milan website that the task will not be easy.

"We need to play to the best of our abilities against Atletico. I don’t know who will play, but whoever does will have to give their all," the 'Bison' served notice.

“The coach will decide who plays. They’re a strong team; I’ve played against them a couple of times when I played in Spain. They’re playing really well. To win we need a top performance. We need to work hard and hope to win."

The former Chelsea midfielder made his Milan debut last Saturday against Napoli in the Serie A.