UCL Final - Milan vs. Liverpool... Athens, May 23rd

Originally Posted by zlatanov

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My prediction for the game would be a close game - lots of battle in midfield (milan's with Gattuso and AMbro is by no means weaker or less physical than Pool's) so the defenses will "mop up" whatever manages to squeeze thru the mids.
Kaka will not have the luxury of space in this game - like he did vs ManU - but will manage to dictate things in tight spaces using his much improved team-play in his new role and will leave his mark on the game by moving around and creating space and chances for his teammates.

It will be a game of few real opportunities but I think in the end Milan's creativity in midfield thru Seedorf, Pirlo and Kaka will open the score in the start of the 2nd half ... the result will be doubled toward sthe end of the game when Pool will be rushing forward and will fall victim to the speed of Kaka and Serginho.

All in all, it will be a classical, tactical game with no surprises or turnarounds like the last time the two teams met.

Guys, remember where you heard it first ... bar the goal by Kuyt (the same one who can't finish to save his life ), I'd say it was a pretty good take on how the game will go, don't you think?


CONGRATS to all Milan fans anywhere around the globe. It wasn't a vintage Milan performance but still - The CL is back home and all happened in a season like this one

It's 7 now .... FORZA MILAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




I have to say all respect goes to Liverpool, who are DESERVEDLY in the CL final and if they had won this game, it would NOT have been undeserved.
BRAVO Liverpool, you guys played like men and fought till the last minute

The critics first - I have to say that is the worst (read most nervous) Milan side I have seen since Carlo is at the helm and we've come back among the best teams in Europe. What makes the surprise even bigger is that this team, under Carlo, have become synonymous with playing their best when it matters most ... today, however, that was not the case.
True, Pool pushed us a lot but still Milan has played before, many times, under such pressure and we've managed more than fine. Tonight, however, we were close to atrocious for large spells of the 1st half and made childish mistakes .... the only explanation for me is that we had burned out in the preparation for this game.

Still, the game was decided by the individual genious of players like Pirlo, Kaka, Pippo (how do get rid of a striker who scores 2 goals in the CL final ) and the team also started playing better and managed to take control of the game when it matters most.

Glaring tactical mistake by benitez when he took out Mascherano. With him, Alonso and Gerrard in the mid, Pool were able to stop Milan fom taking control of midifield but with him out, Pool couldn't create any meaningful chances apart from the occasional long ball or corner. A better move IMO would have been taking a defender off (Finnan maybe) given that Pool had to make up 2 goals (I think) and were running out of time ... and Milan were also set on sitting back and defending ....

HUGE mistake by Benitez, IMO.