The last time I visited the San Siro was way back in 2003. The match? Internazionale hosting Newcastle United in a Champions League group game - that's right kids, Newcastle used to play in the Champions League.

On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to go back and I witnessed AC Milan's remarkable 2-0 against-the-odds win over Barcelona.

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I bought my ticket a month ago from a well-known ticket exchange company for €93 (and to think I read on twitter every day about how cheap games are everywhere else compared to England!). Thirteen of that was for delivery, so when the ticket hadn't arrived by Tuesday I began to fear the worst. On Wednesday afternoon I received an e-mail saying that if I wanted it, I had to get to a hotel a couple of miles from the ground between 16:00 and 18:30. This was not ideal since I was in a different town, but I made it to said hotel with half an hour to spare, and was hugely relieved and very, very excited.

I travelled to the game with my boss - an Italian Milan fan. Our first stop was at a roadside pizzeria for a deep-fried spicy pizza and a 66cl of Moretti Beer (the cuisine is far classier on the continent!). The boss was reluctant to commit himself to a scoreline. The closest he came was to say "tonight it will be tough" but he just couldn't bring himself to say he thought his beloved Milan would lose.

We split at the ground as he made his way into one end and I the other. Getting into the ground was a bit like going to the airport. I needed to display my ticket, a confirmation letter and a photo ID at the main gate and then again at the relevant area inside of the ground. How people manage to smuggle flares into these games is beyond me!

As I took my seat in the lower northeast corner of the ground, I was presented with the perfect view of am absolutely fantastic stadium. The sheer sloping sides of the stadium were jam packed, and the Curva Sud Milano at the opposite end were in great voice.

There were an awful lot of those 50/50 scarves around (half Milan-half Barca). They're an innocent aspect of modern football, but as an overly competitive bloke I really, really don't like them! There was a hugely impressive array of flags and football shirts in my corner of the ground too - Indian, Russian, Saudi, Colombian, Ecuadorian - truly the global game.

The announcement of the Barcelona players was greeted with whistles, especially for Lionel Messi, whilst the Milan players names being read out looked like something from a Boyzone concert, only it was the lights of video-enabled mobile phones glaring in the distance rather than raised lighters.

The Curva Sud displayed a fantastic, gigantic banner just before kickoff displaying a drawing of the club's founder and former player Herbert Kilpin proudly standing in his red-and-black striped shirt with the cross of St George on his chest. 16th December 1899, the day AC Milan was born.

Milan lined up in their famous home kit while Barcelona paraded around in their abomination of a yellowy-orange strip - possibly the most hideous strip ever conjured.

Now here come my notes on the game and remember folks, I am writing these from memory as I was sitting right in amongst it!

The first shot in anger came from a man who played for those not-so-European greats Portsmouth and Sunderland in the fairly recent past - Milan's Sulley Muntari. He volleyed just over the bar.

Barca quickly began to dictate play, as they do, and Milan looked to catch them with quick, direct counterattacks. Milan have played more long balls than any other team in Europe this season and that style was evident Wednesday. They particularly seem to like a long ball out to the right, followed by a big switch to players overlapping on the left.

The best chance of the opening exchanges fell to bright Milan prospect Stephan El Shaarawy, but for once his touch let him down just as he was closing in on goal allowing Carles Puyol to clear for a corner. The corner found another ex-Pompey man, Kevin-Prince Boateng, whose clever lofted effort didn't miss by much. It took Barca a while to get a shot away - their first was a 30-yard effort from Xavi easily held by Christian Abbiati.

The period of play around the half-hour mark saw Barcelona in complete control of possession. It reminded me of a schoolyard game of 'Piggy-in-the-middle' with the entire Milan side playing the part of pig, though Milan comfortably held Barca at bay in terms of shots conceded. In fact, for all of Barca's possession Milan actually looked the more likely to score - Boateng's right-wing cross just eluded a stretching El Shaarawy in front of Barcelona's goal.

For all of the big build-up, the first half was lacking in excitement. Interesting, yes, but a distinct lack of off-your-seat moments. I'd expected more of these moments from teams of such calibre, but then Barca games can be like this. The Milan supporters stood to stretch their legs and clutched their padded cushions - this is a European football fad that I really don't get!

So into the second half we go and the ever-lovable Sergio Busquets flew into a nasty looking tackle. He then collapsed as if he'd been taken out by a sniper but quickly got up when he realised he was going to be booked anyway.

The breakthrough came on 57 and it was the Curva Sud Milan who went crazy in celebration. A free kick was laid off to Riccardo Montolivo and his shot at goal hit Cristian Zapata, deflected towards Boateng and the Ghanaian international scored. Gerard Pique was booked for chasing after the ref claiming that Zapata handled the ball, but the goal stood. 1-0 Milan. The noise was incredible - the San Siro can really hold an atmosphere. The place was rocking.

On 60 minutes the scoreboard told me that Barcelona had amassed 67 percent possession but managed a mere two shots - that just about summed up the game.

Alexis Sanchez came on for Cesc Fabregas. Cesc's last contribution had been to throw himself down for a free kick that Messi blasted into the crowd, much to their delight. The Milan goal raised Barcelona's tempo. It also saw them throw more and more players into the attack but Barca's attempt at cutting through the Milan defence was as ineffective as trying to cut through chilled butter with a flimsy plastic fork - they tried and they tried but they could just not do it right.

M'baye Niang replaced Giampaolo Pazzini for Milan just before half of Milan held its breath as an Iniesta shot which looked goal-bound flew just wide of Abbiati's left hand post.

Barca remained calm and in control of the ball - a Xavi free kick hit the top of the net but there didn't look to be any way through for them. The tension on the terraces was mounting.

Within a minute of the Xavi free kick, Milan had doubled their lead. Substitute Niang, putting himself about the pitch and becoming a real handful for the Barca defence, passed to El Shaarawy who in turn laid it off to Muntari, who finished well. Two Milan goals from two Ghanaian internationals who have both played for Portsmouth. It's a funny old game. Yet again the Milanistas went berserk in celebration.

Barca came at Milan again. Pedro threw himself theatrically into the Milan penalty area in a comical attempt at winning a penalty and was taunted with "zero zero" by the crowd. Puyol should have made more of a free header from a corner but still, no breakthrough. Whistles and howls came from the Curva Sud as the referees assistant displayed '5' on the stoppage-time board. Messi was tackled by Muntari 20 yards from goal. A Dani Alves cross was well gathered by Abiati as the clock ticked past the five minutes..... And then the whistle blew and the Milan fans celebrated wildly. The Milan anthem blared from the tangly "Meeeelan, Meeeeelan" and firecrackers and fireworks were set off.

A great and unexpected victory for a famous old football club - I feel privileged to have been there.

It's not over yet though.

Marc Duffy is ESPNFC's Newcastle United blogger. Follow him on Twitter @MarcSDuffy.

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