[TriniKing_CE]

Okay,

So last time around (Spet 18th) we only managed to get 1 point at home after equalizing in 45min to make it 1-1.

This weekend we will be playing in Catania, so as Alegri would say, don't expect an easy game.

CATANIA TOUGH NUT TO CRACK | AC MILAN

From the Italian Cup to Serie A, from Genoa to Catania. Coach Simeone, in only his second game in charge of the southern side, welcomes a rossoneri side to the Massimino stadium fresh from their victory over Sampdoria in the Italian Cup. So far all five of Catania's wins this season have come at home, where last season the Milan giants produced a last gasp winner.

MILANO - Not an easy trip the one to Catania, where Milan will play on Saturday evening at 8.45pm for round 22 of the Serie A season. Past games and very recent encounters suggest that it will not be easy at all to beat Simeone's men, the man who officially took over from Giampoalo on January 18th. the change was made after a run of poor results from the Sicilian side although they still remain formidable at home.

Catania have in fact won all five of their games this season at home, in front of their adoring crowd. At the Massimino stadium they have picked up 19 of their 22 points with victories over Parma, Cesena, Udinese, Bari and Brescia. On top of thjis they have drawn against Bologna, Napoli, Fiorentina and Chievo. They have only lost twice, against Inter and Juventus.

Maxi Lopez is Catania's top scorer so far with 5 goals to his name, followed by the defender Silvestri with three goals. And the new coach will be hoping to have the defender available for the game against Milan as he explained in the press conference. He spoke on tuesday and will not be holding any other press conferences until after the game so that he can concentrate completely on the game in hand and getting his side ready. Simeone, who started his adventure on the catania bench with a defeat against Parma, said he would play with a 4-3-3 formation with Biagianti, Potenza, Izco and Llama all doubtful.

Milan have won their last two games in Catania but the victory of two years ago, on May 3rd 2009, broke a negative streak that had been on-going since 1964 where the rossoneri had picked up six draws in a row. That run, including the 1-1 draw in 2007 with Seedorf and Spinesi the scorers and also the 1-1 draw of 2008 with Pato and once again Spinesi on the scoresheet, came to an end in the 0-2 victory of 2009 with goals from Inzaghi and Kakà. Milan repeated that result a year ago in November when Huntelaar scored a brace in the dying moments after coming on in the 39th minute of the second half.

RECENT MATCHES

SEASON 2009-2010
29 NOVEMBER 2009: CATANIA-MILAN 0-2

SEASON 2008-2009
3 MAY 2009: CATANIA-MILAN 0-2

SEASON 2007-2008
27 FEBRUARY 2008: CATANIA-MILAN 1-1

SEASON 2006-2007
13 MAY 2007: CATANIA-MILAN 1-1

SEASON 1983-1984
2 FEBRUARY 1984: CATANIA-MILAN 1-1

Link: http://www.acmilan.com/en/news/show/131846

BETWEEN GENOA & CATANIA | AC MILAN

Lots of work in the gym today with only Pirlo and bonera out on the field. Tomorrow training resumes at 12.00 and at 5pm the squad will leave for Sicily.

MILANELLO - Following the good win over Sampdoria in Genoa that takes Milan through to the semi finals of the Italian Cup, the sqaud were training today at Milanello to prepare for the match against Catania. The session started at 11.30 and it involved the usual in-between game workout.

The training session was a standard affair with no real differences in the work carried out between those players who played at Genoa in the Italian cup game and those who did not. Many of the players did work out in the gym, both those injured and those who played against Sampdoria.

Andrea Pirlo and Daniele Bonera did some running which is part of their specific work-out program. The team leaves Malpensa airport tomorrow at 5pm.

Link: http://www.acmilan.com/en/news/show/131850


EDIT: Nearly forgot... See Sig. <Forza Milan!!!> (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

This post has been edited by TriniKing_CE: Jan 27 2011, 10:36 PM

[X-Offender]

Sportmediaset's suggested line-up: Abbiati; Abate, Papastathopoulos, Yepes, Antonini; Ambrosini, Thiago Silva, Van Bommel; Robinho; Pato, Ibrahimovic.

I'd play Thiago in defense and Emanuelson in midfield.

This post has been edited by X-Offender: Jan 27 2011, 10:48 PM

[acid911]

Huntelaar. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) Not once, but twice in the dying moments!

[Darunia]

Sportmediaset's suggested line-up: Abbiati; Abate, Papastathopoulos, Yepes, Antonini; Ambrosini, Thiago Silva, Van Bommel; Robinho; Pato, Ibrahimovic.

I'd play Thiago in defense and Emanuelson in midfield.

Agreed, backline should be

Abate Yepes Thiago Silva Antonini

[X-Offender]

I wouldn't mind Sokratis alongside Thiago, though Yepes has been excellent so far.

[TriniKing_CE]

Huntelaar. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) Not once, but twice in the dying moments!

+1 That was amazing! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[TriniKing_CE]

I wouldn't mind Sokratis alongside Thiago, though Yepes has been excellent so far.

+1

I wouldn't mind Thiago in next to either of the two in order for Emanuelson to get the start as well, but both have basically played well in the past few appearances, I'm okay with either option at this point.

Any word on the injury status of Abbiati, Nesta, Zambrotta, Bonera, Gattuso, Flamini, Strasser, Pirlo, Boateng & Pippo?

This post has been edited by TriniKing_CE: Jan 28 2011, 04:52 AM

[acid911]

+1 That was amazing!

More than amazing, Trini, more than amazing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) It was breathtaking. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat (in this case, draw). The first goal was epic, the second one a minute later was the work of titans. For me only his last goal in the Milan shirt topped these two (the left foot volley from 40-yards out).

The most clinical finished in world football, only Ibra, Pato, Dzeko, and Torres, follow him in the list below, IMO.

[il_diavolo_mtl]

why the **** is ambro playing over Urby...

[il_diavolo_mtl]

abate's riding a hot streak so we don't need to cover him with a useless ambro. Mark my words this will be the game Van Bommel out classes ambro

This post has been edited by il_diavolo_mtl: Jan 28 2011, 07:24 AM

[dst]

I wouldn't mind Sokratis alongside Thiago, though Yepes has been excellent so far.

Sokratis can also play on the right. That's where he was playing in Genoa's 3-man defense actually. He's solid going forward and better than Abate and of course he's better than Abate in defense. But I think Silva is needed in this midfield role, he's excellent there.

Urby is not playing because he's tactically not very aware I think and Catania are going to play a much more conservative game than Sampdoria did.

[han2503]

Personally I'm not happy that we're risking Thiago in the midfield, and even though Sokratis and Yepes have been solid most of the time, there are still moments were they run into each other instead of cover each other. Thiago should be in defense imo, no question about it, he's more likely to get injured in that midfield which is another issue, we have huge games coming up, we can't afford him getting injured when Nesta is out too.

Urby, Van Bommel and Ambro in the mid is more then enough imo

[X-Offender]

Any word on the injury status of Abbiati, Nesta, Zambrotta, Bonera, Gattuso, Flamini, Strasser, Pirlo, Boateng & Pippo?

Abbiati is not injured. We know Nesta, Gattuso and Seeodrf will be back in 2-3 weeks. No idea about the rest.

why the **** is ambro playing over Urby...

The new arrival takes the place of the squad captain? That's unheard of. Emanuelson should earn his spot.

[X-Offender]

Called-up players: Abbiati, Roma, Paleari(61); Antonini, Bonera, Ely(53), Jankulovski, Oddo, Papastathopulos, Thiago Silva, Yepes; Ambrosini, Calvano(54), Emanuelson, Merkel(52), Van Bommel; Cassano, Ibrahimovic, Oduamadi, Pato, Robinho.

Abate out as well. WTF is going on with all these injuries??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[acid911]

Abate out as well. WTF is going on with all these injuries???

I say it's about time B&G did the world a favor and burn the Milan lab (including the clown-faced doctors inside), put the ashes in a titanium safe, kill whoever knows the combination and launch them into the center of the Sun. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) For all intents and purposes, this is the 13th addition to our already large injury-list.

I don't know what kind of a job are these guys doing. Losing both Flamini and KPB at the same time was bad enough, then a host of other long-term guys in Zambrotta and Pirlo, and now then Nesta and Abate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Get serious!