AC Milan vs Barcelona

Ardent

iregk wrote:

Barca had a purple patch for 15mins in the second half, altough I put the goal down to poor goalkeeping on Dida's part. He came for it, would have made it and decided to stop and got stuck in no mans land! After than it was mostly Milan for the rest of the game apart from the last 10mins.

Agree with most of your post except for the above bit. Personally, it looked to me like the self belief got sucked out of the Milan side after the goal, particularly after Ronaldinho hit the post, and they never looked like troubling Barca for the rest of the game.

Kingp35

Ardent wrote:

particularly after Ronaldinho hit the post, and they never looked like troubling Barca for the rest of the game.

Despite the fact Ambrosini missed a sitter?

redspider

A good game. Milan had the better of the first half and could have scored but for some excellent keeping. Both teams though struggled to get in a good final pass and create an opening, until Ronaldinho did. Barca were in control after that.

Its only half-time in terms of legs but its definitaly advantage Barca, with Barca to serve!

From an Arsenal point of view, it doesnt matter who goes through, as both teams are difficult and have quality. The key for Arsenal I think will be to score first, or else try Liverpool's 'trick' from last year, go down by 3 goals early and lead them into a false sense of security. Worked a treat, well sort of, but very risky !

redspider

Ardent

Kingp35 wrote:

Despite the fact Ambrosini missed a sitter?

Ambrosini. 'Nuff said.

Makaveli

Good result. I recall some people on here saying Barca wouldn't do well without Xavi well they haven't had him now for a long time and continue to progress. Iniesta had a good game last night despite claims he's too light weight.

For all the critics of the Barca defense, they have conceeded one goal away from home in Europe (Motta own goal against Chelsea) three at home (Udinese 4-1, Bremen 3-1 and Chelsea 1-1). Hardly a defense leaking goals. Marquez is back which helps a great deal.

That was Ronaldinho's first game in the last three he was out with an ankle injury so it was going to take him a bit of time to get into the game. Giuly has also been lacking form recently and wouldn't have started had Larsson not been injured in the Villarreal game on Friday so it was a good performance by him.

Milan pressed more and had more chances but wouldn't you expect that from the home team in a CL semi-final? It was the best display I've seen from them in a few games in the CL but they didn't get a result. I can't see them getting a result in the Camp Nou either.

Slash/ED

Exactly, this notion Barca have some kind of joke shop defence is pathetically misguided.

What I'm saying is if you get at Barca and press them all over the park you will stop them playing. Thats why if Barca and Arsenal get to the final I kind of fancy Arsenal I have to say. If they play they way they can they will be high tempo and closing Barca down and Barca do not like that at all.

Ronaldinho for the first half last night wasn't great at all. He was closed down and his passing as a result was all over the place. In the second half they moved him further forward and he started to get space and had some nice moments. What I am saying though if you look at Milan first half and Chelsea game first half, Ronaldinho when he had players on him was taken out of the game. Obviously he is class and will get his moment regardless, this is a sign of a great player but you can keep him quiet enough. I'm not saying you can magically take him out. Jesus if it was that easy football would be rather dull but what I'm saying is he doesn't seem to like close attention.

The key here is halfs. Never has anyone "taken him out" for a game. You can't just pay close attention, he'll drag you all over the place and pick you open. That match proves that point. Pay close attention to him and he'll still hurt you, and you're giving up huge space to other players, exactly as happened. If Milan couldn't do it Arsenal haven't a hope in hell with the way their mid field is. Ronaldinho had players on him all night he was "taken out of the game" for one half at most, says it all.

You're making wild judgements on the best player in the world based on two seperate halfs of football, two halfs of matches he later provided goals in (And scored one against the same opposition in the second leg in the case of Chelsea). That seems fairly odd to me.

What makes you think Barca can't cope with a high tempo game? Honestly, where have you gotten this from, where!? One half of football!? Chelsea are as high a tempo team as there is and Barca were comfortable against them. They go through spells where you can't get the ball off them, it is simply not possible to play high tempo against them for 90 minutes.

Seaneh

TBH Any other night and Milan would have Burried those 4 chances, was a disgrace, I'm really annoyed, Barce only showed up for 20 minutes, Milan were much better over all.

At least CAfu got a run out, hopefully he will be 100% for the next game, I'd really like to see Maldini in the centre, Kaladze at left full and serginho play seedorfs posistion for the return leg bcause with Cafu and Serginho in the team we'd a heck of a lot more pace and width than them, which is the onyl way we can win it.
We really missed Inzaghi, he's been on fire lately and his CL form this season is great.

I still think we can win it, all we need is 2 goals in barcelona, which isn't impossible, just very very hard.

Seaneh

Ardent wrote:

Ambrosini. 'Nuff said.

Massimo Ambrosini is a very very good player, and the only reason he sin't a mainstay in the Milan midfield is because he is injured quite a bit.
Much better alround player than Gattauso, and to be honest I'm happy gattauso is suspended for the return, because we will need Ambrosini's passing range and ability to run with the ball (neither of which gattauso has!) for the next game.

Makaveli

Seaneh wrote:

I still think we can win it, all we need is 2 goals in barcelona, which isn't impossible, just very very hard.

All Milan need is 2 goals and to make sure Barca don't score more than one, the latter may be harder to achieve.