With five Azzurri World Cup winners and on-fire Dutch international Clarence Seedorf aboard, AC Milan are packed with potential match-winners, even without cup-tied Ronaldo.
But the threat Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez will lose most sleep over in the run-up to the Champions League final in Athens is undoubtedly Brazil star Kaka.
Milan's semi-final clash with Manchester United was billed by many as a battle between the Brazilian and the English giants' danger man Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
Over the course of the two legs, Kaka clearly came out on top, scoring three of the five goals that set his side on their way to Athens.
In the process he took his Champions League goal tally for the season up to 10 - two short of Ruud Van Nistelrooy's all-time record - and lent credibility to claims he is the best footballer in the world at the moment.
Even without those superlative displays, Liverpool would be sure to give the playmaker-cum-striker special attention in the final.
Kaka was the architect of the masterful first-half performance that had Milan 3-0 up against Liverpool in the competition's final in Istanbul two years ago. That was before the second-half capitulation that led to Milan's defeat on penalties.
Liverpool know that if they allow the 25-year-old the freedom they gave him in Turkey - a mistake Man Utd repeated in the semis - they will not be so lucky this time.
As well as having superb control and dribbling skills, Kaka seems to be able to anticipate the intentions of team-mates and opponents alike to to choose the right pass every time.
He is also blessed with an explosive turn of pace - from a standing start he can cover 30 metres in 3.8 seconds - and is a tireless worker whose movement off the ball is as good as it is on it.
The star has played down suggestions this his side will be looking to avenge the 2005 defeat in Athens.
"Facing Liverpool again is a unique opportunity, but I don't believe in revenge," he said.
"What happened is in the past. I'm just thinking about playing well in the final".
His coolness in front of goal has led coach Carlo Ancelotti to play him further forward than his usual attacking midfield position recently, almost as a support striker.
"Kaka has scored ten goals in the Champions League, which shows he is a great forward," said Ancelotti, who believes the Brazilian is even more complete than French great Zinedine Zidane.
"People criticized Zidane for failing to convert his talent into goals," added Ancelotti, who coached the Frenchman during his spell at Juventus.
"Maybe this is the difference. Zidane was fabulous, but Kaka is more concrete."
Playing Kaka further forward has also brought out the best from his fine understanding with Seedorf, who Ancelotti has given freedom to roam behind the forwards.
This was clear in the semi-final second leg when, for example, the Dutchman's clever header gave Kaka the chance to drill home Milan's first goal.
Kaka believes his companions can help him win soccer's top individual prizes, as well as the Champions League.
"I always think awards like the European Footballer of the Year and the FIFA World Player are a consequence of what a team does," he recently told a Brazilian daily.
"If we keep playing well, I can win those prizes and it would be a pleasure".
And the youngster has not ruled out the prospect of matching or even beating Van Nistelrooy's Champions League record by scoring more goals in the final.
"That would be tops for me, but the important thing is to think about winning the cup first," he said.
"It has been a great season, but I don't think I've reached the peak of my career yet. I know I can still improve and that I have a lot to learn".
Kaka, whose full name is Ricardo Izecson Dos Santos Leite, learned his trade with Sao Paulo, where he scored 21 goals in two seasons in Brazil's top flight before joining Milan in 2003.
He has 50 international caps and has scored 18 goals for his country.
He made his Brazil debut against Bolivia in 2002 and played a minor role in the World Cup triumph later that year.
Kaka is now a regular with the seleç o, who he captained in a friendly against Switzerland last November.
He is married and is a devout Christian - every time he scores he looks up to the sky as a sign of thanks to God.
