Genoa - Milan (09/05/10, 15:00)

37th day

1st - Inter (76 pts)
2nd - Roma (74 pts)
3rd - Milan (67 pts)
4th - Sampdoria (63 pts)
5th - Palermo (61 pts)
6th - Napoli (56 pts)
7th - Juventus (55 pts)
8th - Genoa (48 pts)
9th - Fiorentina (46 pts)
10th - Bari (46 pts)

All games will be played: 09/05/10 - 15:00

Games for the title
Roma - Cagliari
Inter - Chievo

Games for the 3rd-4th places
Palermo - Sampdoria
Genoa - Milan

Games for the 6th place (Juv and Napoli) and for the 17th-18th places (Atalanta, Lazio and Bologna)
Juventus - Parma
Napoli - Atalanta
Bologna - Catania
Livorno - Lazio


Games for the title: Roma will surely have to win its last two games by hoping that Inter don't manage to do it too (one draw by Inter is enough for Roma). If Roma can't win its game and Inter wins it, Inter will be champion before the last game.

Games for the 3rd-4th places: It's what interests us the most. I don't know if Genoa fans are as stupid as the ones of Lazio (able to hope that their team loses against Inter and be happy when it happens just because another result would have helped their rivals of Roma), I don't think so, so it should be a difficult game in a stadium probably full and encouraging their team. A win there and we will play the last game against Juventus without any pressure at home. A draw could be enough too, depending on the result between Palermo and Sampdoria. Here are the possible cases: Palermo beats Samp, we need one point to secure our 3rd place, Palermo and Samp draw, our 3rd place is secured even with two losses in the last two games, and Samp beats Palermo, we need three points. Of course, it is calculated like if Palermo and Samp were going to win their last game.

Games for the 6th place: I don't care, but I hope Napoli is going to draw, Juventus too, just to allow us to kill the "dream" (or nightmare ? 'cause it's far from their initial objectives of season) of an Europa League qualification of Juventus in the last game.

Games for the 17th-18th places: Atalanta has probably one foot and a half in Serie B ...

Statistics for our game

Last 5 games
- Milan: 2-1-2
- Genoa: 1-1-3

Last 5 games bis
- Milan away: 2-0-3
- Genoa at home: 1-2-2

Overall form
- Milan: 19-10-7
- Genoa: 13-9-14

Overall form bis
- Milan away: 8-5-5, 23 goals scored, 18 goals conceded
- Genoa at home: 10-5-3, 41 goals scored, 26 goals conceded

Milan is the third best defence (behind Inter and ... Chievo) and the third best attack (behind Inter and Roma).

Genoa is the second worst defence of Serie A (60 goals conceded, Siena is the only team worse) and the fourth best attack (just one less goal compared to us).

My bad, I'm now worried about Roma not winning Scudetto more than Milan lost CL spot.

Being a fan brings the most illogical thinking

Originally Posted by Aficio

My bad, I'm now worried about Roma not winning Scudetto more than Milan lost CL spot.

Being a fan brings the most illogical thinking

Since Milan isn't in the race for the title anymore, I couldn't care less about which team is going to win this title, which team is going to qualify for the next CL behind us (I often say I'd prefer Palermo instead of Samp because Palermo is more solid in my opinion), which team will go to Serie B or not, ...

Can I claim it is a logical way to think as a fan ?

Originally Posted by GeoTav

Since Milan isn't in the race for the title anymore, I couldn't care less about which team is going to win this title, which team is going to qualify for the next CL behind us (I often say I'd prefer Palermo instead of Samp because Palermo is more solid in my opinion), which team will go to Serie B or not, ...

Can I claim it is a logical way to think as a fan ?

Yeah, as logical as an alien

Though I was happy when Milan won against Fio, but things are getting boring. I am still waiting for some big changes, regardless of good or bad ones.

Geo, what you said about us killing Juventus's last hopes of Europe next year......I don't know if that's possible because they'll definitely end up in 7th place which should take them to the Europa League. Usually the 5th and 6th place make it plus the winner of the cup, but the final of the Italian Cup is between Inter and Roma. So, logically the 7th place of the league should take the last Europa League place because both finalists of the cup will participate in the CL.

Can anyone confirm this??? Because I'm not sure, but only trying to make sense of what's happened in the Cup.

The 7th place team gets to qualify for the Europa League (if both Coppa Italia finalists are in CL), but this starts in late july. Easy competition, yes, but thats REALLY early on. Could really mess things up for them.

Originally Posted by nefremo

Geo, what you said about us killing Juventus's last hopes of Europe next year......I don't know if that's possible because they'll definitely end up in 7th place which should take them to the Europa League. Usually the 5th and 6th place make it plus the winner of the cup, but the final of the Italian Cup is between Inter and Roma. So, logically the 7th place of the league should take the last Europa League place because both finalists of the cup will participate in the CL.

Can anyone confirm this??? Because I'm not sure, but only trying to make sense of what's happened in the Cup.

Damn, you kill my dream !!

Nefremo is correct, as at the moment Italy have 7 spots going to play in Europe next year.

If Inter don't beat Germany in normal time then next year we will see 3 teams to CL and 3 to EL.

Some good news from Milanello: Pato is back in the group ... and Nesta too !!

Pato should be on the bench during the Genoa-Milan game, and we could see Nesta back for the Milan-Juventus game ...

It's the kind of news that lets me hope we will end the season with two wins ...

Why do we need to play just-recovered Pato and Nesta? Better to skip the games for the two players. They don't need games to be fit for certain important competition or games.

Originally Posted by Siregar

Why do we need to play just-recovered Pato and Nesta? Better to skip the games for the two players. They don't need games to be fit for certain important competition or games.

Without knowing what will be the result between Palermo and Samp, we need to try to win against Genoa to be able to be cool, relaxed, playing without any pressure against Juventus ... and so, having Pato for 30 minutes in this game can only be a good addition to our chances !!

As far as I know, these guys are paid, there are still 2 official games, I don't care if they get a small injury again against Juventus for example, because then, there won't be any official game and they will have a lot of time to recover ... but right now, we need them, and if you think we can do without them, why paying their salary ?
If you really think what you wrote, it would just be like saying to the two guys "go in holidays", and all the work done before for recovering from their injury would have been useless, they could have used more time ...

PS: I think that if the guys play, it will be because they are fit, especially Nesta who has suffered a lot from injuries and who probably knows being patient with them ... I would be more concerned with Pato as he already came back too early twice (more actually) since he arrived in Milan.

Originally Posted by GeoTav

Without knowing what will be the result between Palermo and Samp, we need to try to win against Genoa to be able to be cool, relaxed, playing without any pressure against Juventus ... and so, having Pato for 30 minutes in this game can only be a good addition to our chances !!

We can win against Genoa without Pato and Nesta. Having Pato as sub doesn't mean that Milan have bigger chance to win. This player hasn't played real football for quite a long time.

Originally Posted by GeoTav

As far as I know, these guys are paid, there are still 2 official games, I don't care if they get a small injury again against Juventus for example, because then, there won't be any official game and they will have a lot of time to recover ... but right now, we need them, and if you think we can do without them, why paying their salary ?

Every people know that Milan players are paid. It's really awesome to read that you don't care about Pato if he gets injury but you cried when he and/or nesta got injury. The point is why so rush in playing a player that just recovered from injury. The player got injury after playing some minutes after recovered from his last injury. My point is don't rush the player to play.

Originally Posted by GeoTav

If you really think what you wrote, it would just be like saying to the two guys "go in holidays", and all the work done before for recovering from their injury would have been useless, they could have used more time ...

I always think what I wrote but not sure about you. The point of recovering from a player is to make him totally fit, 100%. not after 10 minutes play he will get injury or so.

Originally Posted by GeoTav

PS: I think that if the guys play, it will be because they are fit, especially Nesta who has suffered a lot from injuries and who probably knows being patient with them ... I would be more concerned with Pato as he already came back too early twice (more actually) since he arrived in Milan.

It's amazing you have clear view like this. Where this kind of thought when Pato got his last injury?

Originally Posted by Siregar

We can win against Genoa without Pato and Nesta. Having Pato as sub doesn't mean that Milan have bigger chance to win. This player hasn't played real football for quite a long time.

Like I said, if Pato plays some minutes, that will mean he can play them ... he may not be 100% fit for 90 minutes, but if he is at 80-90%, he can well play 15 minutes.
And let's imagine the situation: 77th minute, Genoa leads the game 1-0, we are better but we lack a little something. Huntelaar plays on the right and is quite useless (like usually when used out of position). What do you prefer ? Sending Pato or Mancini to replace Huntelaar ? I choose a 80% Pato instead of a 200% Mancini all the time at this moment of the game as Pato, even if not 100% fit, can create danger ...

Originally Posted by Siregar

Every people know that Milan players are paid. It's really awesome to read that you don't care about Pato if he gets injury but you cried when he and/or nesta got injury. The point is why so rush in playing a player that just recovered from injury. The player got injury after playing some minutes after recovered from his last injury. My point is don't rush the player to play.

Well, I may have been overreacting by saying I don't care about their injuries but the point was that we don't risk anything by using them now (and please, don't tell me we rush their come back, the guys have been out for a long time, damn, even a normal person who is not a professional sport player would recover faster !!): if they get another injury, they will have a complete summer to recover as none of them will go to the WC, and that will show how bad our medical staff is again ... if they don't get an injury, well, they will have helped in the last two games, and they will have time to relax then from a difficult season without thinking about these injuries anymore.

Originally Posted by Siregar

I always think what I wrote but not sure about you. The point of recovering from a player is to make him totally fit, 100%. not after 10 minutes play he will get injury or so.

If the medical staff thinks they can be sent on the pitch, I'm not better than them to know if they are right or wrong (after the last 2-3 seasons, we could actually argue we would be better doctors ). If they send them, it's because they can play. If they can't play, a good doctor will never allow someone to play.

guys, pato is back......... and since he is fit enough, i see no reason why he shouldnt play.