Three strikers available. Haha, what a joke Allegri!

He'd pulled up in training. I think.

The point is we're not a team that's all that great in possession...thanks to the mid-fielders we setup.
We don't have enough pure individual quality except for Ibra.
We can't play catenaccio, since we don't have pure defensive players with max tactical awareness.

All comes down to our mid-field...we're neither a creative mid-field not a purely defensive one.


My guess...

Allegri choses to play defensive and a hard pressing game in our half. He will look to launch attacks on the counter using Pato's pace and Zlatan's strength in the air. He will mostly be happy to leave Camp Nou with a point.

MILAN - Below is the list of 21 players called up by Massimiliano
GK's - Abbiati, Amelia, Roma.
Defenders - Abate, Antonini, Bonera, Nesta, Taiwo, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta, Yepes.
Midfielders - Ambrosini, Aquilani, Boateng, Emanuelson, Nocerino, Seedorf, Van Bommel.
Forwards - Cassano, Ibrahimovic, Pato.


Massimiliano Allegri held a press conference at Milanello before the last training session ahead of the match against Barcelona in the Champions League.

MILANELLO - This is what Massimiliano Allegri said during the press conference: "The team has trained very well after the Lazio game, we are ready to play this game, it is the first game of the Champions League and we want to start well. We will have to be careful in defence and do well up front. At the moment they are the team that plays the best football, they have so much quality both individually but also as a team, but we also have some great players, we are a very good side, we are Milan so we have to play with courage. You never know what can happen in football. I will change some players who played against Lazio, I will decide after this morning's training session. We must concentrate throughout the entire match, we have to respect Barcelona. We have to try and play a good game then we'll see what happens. It is the second time that I go to Barcelona after the Gamper Trophy but I am calm about tomorrow night, it isn't a final, just the first match of the group stages. We are playing against a side that has won so much but our aim is to get through the group stages.

"We have to play a different game to the first 20 minutes against Lazio, we were too spread out and we cannot afford to play like that for 20 minutes against Barcelona. Then we did well to come back against Lazio and we almost won the game...
The game against Barcelona will highlight the kind of shape we are in at the moment. Compared to last season we have played less friendlies, and that is how I wanted it. We don't have to be scared tomorrow and we can't play like the first 20 minutes against Lazio. We have to be well balanced knowing that we have a tough task on our hands. Ibra will play up front then I still haven't decided between Pato and Cassano even if Pato is the favourite. Then I also have a doubt about Nocerino or Ambrosini. We are doing checks on Robinho but I don't think he will come to Barcelona.
The first matches of Serie A? Palermo-Inter was a great game, Palermo did really well but Inter also showed what they can do despite the defeat. Pirlo? Everyone knows that Andrea is quality and I am happy that he played a great game, it isn't as of he has forgotten to play football just because he has left Milan.

"Ibra showed that he is world class at Barcelona and he is still showing it now. We have to have respect for Barcelona but not be scared of them. We have to try and make our quality count on the pitch. Cassano? He played a great game against Lazio and he will do very well this year and in the last 20 days he has reached a good level of fitness. Tomorrow I will have to choose between Pato and Cassano but I think this type of game suits Pato more. Pato's average goal tally for Milan is very high, my choices will not be based on how many goals they have scored in the Champions League. Pato is 22, he can improve a lot and if he plays tomorrow then I am sure he will do very well. Barcelona always play in the same way, they are technically very gifted and the almost always dominate their matches with possession but they can have moments when they lose their concentration."

BIG BAD NEWS : Ibrahimovic got injured during the training and will not travel for Spain. He is going to miss the game against Barcelona and is in doubt for Napoli !


Even Emanuelson tweeted about this on his official account :


Arrrrrr :@

This post has been edited by d'Arc.LP: Sep 12 2011, 02:22 PM

Could be a blessing in disguise.

Well, well, things get interesting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) Very interesting! Ibra out could go either way. We may very well stop playing the lobbing game if we don't have a target-man upfront, and that can be a good thing. But really, taking two strikers against Barcelona is as funny as it gets. Tough luck, anyway you look at it.

thank god. now we have a sort of an excuse to ease the blame on when we get thrashed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Ohhh, no problem, we've still got Pippo available for Barcelona. Oh wait.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

Karma showed Allegri the middle finger.

Pippo is still injured so he wouldn't have played ether way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Sorry Fillipo but this made me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) so hard!

At least there is a doubt in his decision regarding Nocerino or Ambro. I thought he would be certain in his decision on Ambro.

It looks like it's going to be



Ibra will be a huge loss, him being out takes one possible solution that we'll have when in attack. Pato and Cassano will need to work their @sses of that's for sure and one of them will need to drop back into midfield when we're defending as well.

Taiwo might get the nod, but I think I prefer Zambro to play this one, just stay back and think about his own flank. Taiwo will look to go forward, and the will get us caught out.

Hopefully Nocerino is the one picked, and I think Seedorf would be the better option here. I don't believe Allegri will deviate from his 4-3-1-2 but I think he should really consider a xmas tree formation with 5 mids. At least that way we'd still have an option coming off the bench since we only have 2 strikers

I remember the 1994 final, Barca that f@cker Cruyff was boasting his dream team was going to demolish Milan yadda yadda yadda ... Add to that we had HUGE problems at the back w/o Costacurta & Baresi .. The outcome was unbelievable.

Till the next day, I couldn't believe we won .. We beat the dream team at the time. Oh but back then we had Capello, now we have someone who drops one of Europe's most strikers because he knows best (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

These are the nights where I miss Carletto... And that happens rarely, but I simply have no faith in Max when it comes to games like this one

Carlo doesn't miss you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Carlo is unemployed atm (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Nice!