Wait up Blue. I will be posting a detailed analysis + Ratings later in the day. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I was afraid that Allegri would play with Antonini instead of Zamborotta, now im sure that Seedorf is a 30 min player and you can use him in the 2nd half if you need someone to control the ball and keep it in Milan side.

http://youtu.be/34ar70QEk_E

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So, now would be a good time to throw up a couple of nice questions to stir up some further debate on this highly interesting encounter. I've been having this debate with a bunch of my friends. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) And the opinions are quite divided on one question, though the first one is almost universally agreed upon. The questions:

Pato vs. Messi
Now one may say we cheated and began the game before Barcelona players were ready, but still, this was one heck of a goal. One of the very best you'll ever see, everything went perfect for Pato, from the misjudged clearance from the Barca player to the ball landing on his feet, and then how he sliced the defense apart and ran towards the goal, and finally showing Valdez for the pathetic keeper he is. This is my best part. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) Anyway, the question that arises is this:

Had Messi scored this goal, would it have been universally acclaimed and pundits would have regarded this as his best yet, or at least one of his very best goals? Few TV/media people I checked praised Pato as much as he deserved. It was more about Barcelona being stunned, and not the guy who stunned them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Would it have been the same case with Messi, or would they have remembered and hyped this goal up for centuries?

Nesta vs. Silva
I know, I know, both got deserved praise for the performance. Nesta though got more applause, maybe because he's Italian, or maybe because he's an established player, or maybe because he is on right wrong side of 30 now and still can cut it at the top most level. All deserved notions, and it was a masterclass performance from our CB. But there was another CB that came to two to play, and he played just as well AND scored the goal that will make people remember this match. If it weren't for Silva, we'd be staring at least at a 2-1 defeat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Or some would say 3-1 when Messi ran at the heart of our defense on the 90th minute and almost go through for a sure goal, if not for a cool and composed tackled by Silva.

The point that arises is which one was better, it's just a simple question of giving one player 8 and another 9. What would you guys give Nesta, and how would you rate Silva, not in terms of what they brought to the table (because that was epic), but how the fared in purely numerical terms. Nesta I thought was a bit at fault for the first goal, with Abate being a bigger culprit, and Zambrotta the biggest (he was found watching the match without a ticket as he lost the man he was asked to mark). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Absolutely dreadful moment, even though on the whole he was decent enough.

But anyway, if it weren't for Silva, we'd probably have forgotten about this match by now - not just for the header goal, but also for smooth, smooth defending, which IMO as more effortless than Nesta. But that's a given, he's years younger than our #13, and Nesta was just as good or even better when he was Silva's age. So the question being, who would you say was the best defender on our team - and subsequently in the match?

Simple questions, tough answers. Fire away, please! Could be an interesting debate!

The media would have collectively orgasmed if Messi scored like Pato did.

I don't think there's any point comparing a player who hasn't fully realised his potential with one who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

I'm not sure we'll ever see Pato break the 30 goal barrier for us, so even if he scores a wonder goal in any competition, well, players score wonder goals all the time.

But few score several of them alone.

I want more from Pato - I want him to realise how good he can be and achieve it. I don't want him fannying around at a level of 'potential' for the rest of his career.

But then that's debatable isn't it? Depending on who you asked, Messi has reached his potential playing in a set team and in one of the weakest (at least defensively) leagues in the world. His NT and performances against strong teams aren't nearly as good as they are - they are open for everyone to see.

You can argue it's not his fault he's playing in such conditions, but then again, I rate Maradona higher than Pele in that he at least played in a tough and technical league and lived to tell the tale. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Overall Pele may still be a better player and visionary than Maradona. But he never played in Serie A - the best league of his/their time.

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He did take it well, pity his touch was missing on his 2nd chance, could have had 2 for the night then.

Epic (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ...did the same person wrote that?

It's basically me paraphrasing what Carlton Palmer was saying... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Yeah that stinking little hypocrite. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) It was more fun watching his facial expressions at half and full time than the match itself for me. I was really looking forward to it after Silva's goal. The creep went in with 3-0 Barcelona at the start, while his other friend said that he was expecting 2-0 in favor of the Catalans.

I don't know what's more stupid, thinking Milan will let in 3 goals, or thinking that we won't even put in 1. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) I mean, we practically have the best defense in the (club football) world. Period. And couple that with our stinking midfield, and our CBs and full backs have to work doubly hard. Against big sides we struggle for possession, and that bulk of the burden falls right on the defense. They are put under pressure. And they cope with it more often than not.

Give this midfield to Barcelona, Real or any other high-profile team and see how their defense copes! Ha!

Pato vs. Messi - Servbot basically answered that one.

Nesta vs. Silva - If you really want to be critical watch the first goal and look at Thiago's positioning, he was trying to block the cut back but Abbiatti was also in the position to cover the cut back. IMO Thiago should have stopped the ballgoing across the goal, other than that he did have a sterling game.

I also think that Thiago has learned a lot from the master that is Sandro Nesta and they seem to compliment each other like Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini.

Against Barça Nesta was simply outstanding, so based on that match Nesta easily. Also that very same match Pato has been outstanding, being the main threat of the day, so also he beats Messi based on that match.

If only Pato has better support than a non-existant Cassano, for example Robinho, who knows what happened...

Trying to fault Cassano for it is a bit of an excuse for me. I don't think Robinho could have done much better, yes he brings more energy, but the problem was th midfield, we just couldn't get it out of our area unless we punted it. Barca pressed us a lot, the pass from midfield when we won it back was sloppy at best, so Cassano and Pato basically had nothing to go by then the long ball, which we all know that that will never work with Cassano since height is not on his side and neither is speed.

We all knew Cassano wasn't the right man for this kind of game where we wouldn't be controlling possession, and that's when Cassano is the most dangerous. An extra mid (Aquilani), would have worked a million times better then another striker