AC Milan wing-back Ignazio Abate admits they panicked in defeat at Champions League opponents Barcelona.

The Rossoneri went into last night's European Cup round of 16 tie with a 2-0 first leg advantage, but they were soundly beaten 4-0 by the Spanish giants.

"We weren't very proactive, we played a lot of long balls rather than playing the ball on the ground," the full-back told Sky Sport Italia.

"We gifted the first half to our opponents, even if Lionel Messi invented those two fine goals. We were never in the match and we can't afford to gift 45 minutes of a game to a team like Barcelona.

"We improved a little in the second half, going close to scoring, but you need experience to play at places like the Camp Nou - and that is not a criticism of my younger teammates."