Matchday 4: AC Milan vs Real Madrid (3/11/2011)

[hitmannq8]

We got thrashed by Real Madrid during the week and we lucky it was only 2-0. Allegri played the old players for that game and yesterday he said that he will even stick with the same old players for the return leg because we were unlucky.

Real Madrid are playing Racing right now and its 6-0 and its only the 65th minute, Cristiano with a super-hat-trick. Milan play Napoli away on Sunday.

Ajax and Milan are both on 4 points, Real are on 9, Auxerre on 1 point.

[Xudong]

Do you mean Matchday 4? I don't think we can win the group, so I will not be upset if we get one point off this game. As long as we win the other two games, we are ok.

[zafrul]

I remember Mourinho saying earlier in the season that some poor teams are going to pay all the chances his Madrid side are creating...

I guess it's really happening and Racing 6-1 is just scary...

From what we saw happen to us, we too could have been 6-0. We were lucky with 2-0 and Galliani also said so...

[Elmago99]

I would like to see:

-------Robinho----Pato---------
--------------Pirlo--------------
------Gattuso-----Boateng----
--------------Flamini------------

Classic Diamond midfield with 2 fast strikers that can be released on counters...

WIN the midfield and you Win the game...

Then, adjustments can be made,, Ibra for Robinho/Pato, we can go to a 4-4-2, maybe Ambro will be ready also by then, who knows...

[OCmilano]

Who do we play in the next round if we end up 1st or 2nd? What group?

Thanks

[hitmannq8]

OCMilano, you ask that question as if you're a newbie to football! You've been watching Milan for years and years and you don't know that it's always always been a draw?

Over the weekend we lost at home to a much weaker Juventus side - that definitely will hurt us psychologically. Real Madrid came back to beat Hercules 3-1 with a brace from on-fire Ronaldo.

Prince is notably showing that he is slowing down and couldn't keep the consistency he kept at the start of the season. Pato needs to learn to use the thing in his head and needs to know he is not the new fenomeno. Maybe a couple of games on the bench from Allegri will bring Pato down to earth after all the praise he's received from the Brazil games.

Robinho is slooowly getting used to the team and is improving his teamplay game by game. Ibra started off very good with Milan but has been awful as of late. Pirlo also isn't play that well...and about Seedorf.. yeah..whatever....

Antonini is absolute crap, and Abate is even dumber but faster. Looks like they our only available two FBs and they will face Di Maria and Ronaldo on Wednesday, great. Hopefully we'll have Silva back because Sokratis is not an adequate replacement for Silva yet. I know it's a bit premature but could Montelongo be so much worse than Abate that he doesn't even get one chance to show what he's worth?

Milan's form in general has been going down. Allegri has done nothing yet to show he deserves to be coaching this team and isn't showing anything innovative. Even though Leo did seem to be a newbie of a coach last year, I only wonder what could he have done with such a team. That's in the past though, no point dwelling about it. All we can do is say,

Forza Milan

and hope for the best.

[Nalx]

Originally Posted by Xudong

Do you mean Matchday 4? I don't think we can win the group, so I will not be upset if we get one point off this game. As long as we win the other two games, we are ok.

Considering the way we (and Madrid) have been playing lately we'll be lucky if we get one point from this match. Yet, I'm afraid that won't be enough.

Ajax is likely to win again and that means they'll have 2 more points. All they have to do is to park their bus at San Siro to maintain their lead, and play safe at the Arena with Madrid whom by then will have cemented their place on the top of the group.

Playing wise, the last game for both clubs once again underlines the difference between the two coaches. Madrid was one goal down and Mou sent Benzema in and he helped create two goals. We were two goals down (some defense, Nini!), Allegri sent Seedorf in and if he decided to do nothing, he's allowed to do so.

Now that's something that Mou won't tolerate. Pedro Leon refused to follow his instructions and he wasn't even included in the squad for two(?) weeks. Benzema isn't the runner kind of player himself and lost his place to Higuain. But you can see the effort he put in once he's given a chance because he knows he'll drop down further in Mou's eyes if he screws up.

On the other side our lucky #10 could do any kind of warming up he pleases on the field and still get his starting spot for this kind of match. Allegri can talk about tracking back and defending as a unit blah blah blah, but until he walks the talk, or precisely speaking, MAKE THE PLAYERS WALK HIS TALK he will continue to have strong criticism.

[Siregar]

Correction: We play on 3rd of November not 4th. It means, we play on Wednesday 20.45 (CET).

[hitmannq8]

So Allegri lost our 2 biggest games of the season against Juventus at home and Real Madrid away.

We will be playing a lot of big games in this month and this is probably as big as it gets.

Can he get a win? Or will he lose again and get criticized by the fans for his tactics?

Will Pato and Ibra return to form for this one? Robinho or Ronaldinho?

[Mystik]

I was looking forward to the first game vs Madrid so much..but for this one I don't feel any excitement. Maybe it's because of the poor play our team has been showing of late..or that I don't really think that our slow midfield even has a chance against Madrid.

I doubt we can dominate the game against them to be honest. We'd be better off lining up with Carlo's 2 DM formation so that we at least have cover against their strong runners from midfield. Otherwise it'll be a massacre. Never say never though..the CL is always full of surprises.

[Elmago99]

My Lineup:

----------Ibrahimovic-----Pato----------
-------------------Robinho---------------
-----------Flamini--Pirlo--Boateng-------
Antonini-----T. Silva----Nesta-----Abate
------------------Abbiati-------------------

I think Robinho is more of a SS as Brasileiro indicated many times. We really lack a hard working midfielder such as a VDV, Ganso, Hamsik, Pastore who can create as a #10 but also can work hard and help out the midfield.

Obviously the energy of us Milan fans has greatly changed past 2-3 weeks. The most important thing is that we may have a strong attack, but our midfield is unbalanced, and we have big holes in defense.

Let's hope for a draw and take it from there. we must protect the midfield, and stifle Ronaldo.

Forza Milan

[GeoTav]

Unfortunately, it's already a must-win game ...

I'll hope for a perfect game tomorrow, a game like the one against Manchester few years ago, even if a 1-0 win will be enough. This game could really launch our season (I think we haven't launched it yet, and we're in the top of Serie A and in the race to qualify in CL, so we can have big hopes for the season) if we win.

Anyway, we can't lose, it's a forbidden result for us as if it happens, we could really say goodbye to this competition for this season ...

So please, Milan, win tomorrow evening to shut the mouth of Mourinho, have our revenge after the game in Bernabeu, keep our record at home against Real (they never beat us in San Siro), put one foot in 1/8 finals, launch the season, ... there are so many reasons to win this game especially that I can't imagine another result !!

Forza Milan !!

[kogalo]

My line up against Real Madrid, if all are healthy.

-----Ibrahimovic-----Pato----------
---Robinho-----------------Ronaldinho---------
-----------Flamini-- Gattuso--------
Antonini-----T. Silva----Nesta-----Abate
------------------Abbiati-----------------

Key subs
1 Boateng
2.Pirlo

[hitmannq8]

you must be nuts! we'd get destroyed with such a lineup....

we will probably see:

--- zambro ------ nesta ------ silva ------- nini ---

-------- gattuso -------- pirlo ----- ambrosini ----

------------------ ronaldinho ----------------------

---------- pato ----------------- ibra --------------

Personally I'd try R80 + Robinho supporting Ibra. Those two can start fireworks on the left flank if they play together. I'd keep Pato on the bench and bring him on for 2nd half and can use his speed to kill the Real defenders. The christmas tree has brought us luck in the past.

[Filipéz 182]

Am I the only one who thinks we'll get hammered?
Ive never been this pessimistic about a Milan game.