Weekday 5

AEK Athens vs AC Milan

Tuesday 21th, November '06

*we take on empoli on saturday, will play on athens on tuesday , the team is not having a good time, but still they need to qualify...

*prediction : 0-1

I think this should be a relatively easy game .. Our players should regain some confidence from this one

this is a tough one I dont want aek to lose but I dont want Milan to lose either

i really dont mind to tie this one, and then milan can trash out lille, thing is that milan need to get confidence once more

One point is enough to go trough right ? So a tie perhaps isnt that bad. Then Aek can win against Anderlecht and hopefully go trough

We need a win for confidence if nothing else.

or reach at least the uefa cup. that's not that bad at all. grab a calculator and start creating all scenarios as possible i aek ties with milan and wins against anderlecht , they go trough only if lille ties or looses against anderlecht this match,
every other resul you come by on it , you can add it im lack of time now hehe

Group H Pld W D L GF GA Pts
Milan 4 3 1 0 8 1 10
Lille 4 1 2 1 4 3 5
AEK 4 1 1 2 3 7 4
Anderlecht 4 0 2 2 3 7 2

Crossing my fingers that we dont get paired with Werder

Group H

Match ........................................... Score


Anderlecht - Lille ........................... 1 - 1
Milan - AEK Athens ........................ 3 - 0
Lille - Milan ................................... 0 - 0
AEK Athens - Anderlecht ................ 1 - 1
Anderlecht - Milan ......................... 0 - 1
Lille - AEK Athens ......................... 3 - 1
AEK Athens - Lille ......................... 1 - 0
Milan - Anderlecht ......................... 4 - 1
Lille - Anderlecht .......................... -
AEK Athens - Milan ....................... -
Anderlecht - AEK Athens ............... -
Milan - Lille .................................. -

Why?

They have a VERY capable team this season .. I would rather we face Barca than them ..

I dunno, we play better against the BIG teams, but Bremen is of a similar mould as PSV and we don't play at our best when paired against such teams.

You have a point, but i rather if milan has the chance to face a big club to see if milan is actually capable to do somethig interesting in the UCL. could be barcelona or werder, however, im looking that barca has the classification quite complicated.

I so hope Barca fails to qualify... That would be awesome!!

so do i, but i would also like to milan eliminate them on the next round... will see what happens.

A draw is all we need to pass through. I don't think it's gonna be that easy, but we might just win this one. Hopefuly Lille and Anderlecht will tie aswell.

only if something apocalyptical happens, milan won't go to the next round, what i need to know is, if milan go as a 1st. place ( most likely they will ) , wich team will be facing on the second round???

its still a draw ?

My dream is Real Madrid.

There will be another draw.

The winners of their respective groups can't be paired up with other winners only against runner ups.

Real Madrid I think are a possibility, so are Barca.

I think Real would be easier to defeat, since Carlo knows Cappello inside out and knows how to stifle him.

mine is Barca
and on this match, i'll go with 0 - 3, hopefully we'll get our confidence back.

Squad for Athens: Dida, Fiori, Kalac; Cafu, Maldini, Costacurta, Simic, Jankulovski, Bonera, Antonelli; Seedorf, Gourcuff, Pirlo, Kakà, Brocchi, Guerci; Borriello, Gilardino, Inzaghi, Oliveira.

My team from that squad would be

Cafu--Maldini--Simic--Antonelli
--Brocchi--Seedorf--Gourcuff--
--------------Kaka---------------
---------Oliveira--Gila-----------

If we want either Gila or Pippo, whichever one from them is going to play to score, we need as much push from the flanks as possible, I picked Antonelli for the left side because he really impressed me in the Coppa match, very precise crosses, fast and seemed like he was handling his flank like a pro.

Pirlo needs to sit out for a couple of matches, because since he plays that deep in midfield, when he loses the ball we are ALWAYS in danger to conceed, and looking at the form he is currently in right now, and the ammount of times he is losing the ball over the course of 90 minutes, I would opt to rest him for a couple of matches.

Oliveira is so close to scoring again and all he needs is that extra bit of luck that all strikers need with them, I think he will score in this one. Gila or Pippo doesn't really matter which one of them takes the box-striker spot, I tend to prefer Gila because I think he links up better with Kaka and oli rather then Pippo

I'm pretty sure we need to win to be assured of finishing top. I think that's the easiest way to look at it - don't like relying on other teams results. I agree, it won't be easy.

barca or madrid... its the same , but i prefer barcelona to revenge the semi final last year... and i agree almost with han's line up.. this is mine to face AEK Athens


------------------Dida

----Cafu---Maldini---Simic---Marek

------Brocchi---Gourcuff---Seedorf

------------------Kaka

-----------Inzaghi----Oliveria

My line up:

Dida
Cafu Bonera Maldini Antonelli
Brocchi Pirlo Gourcuff
Seedorf
Inzaghi Oliveira

Someone give Kaka some f@cking rest..............

acmilan.com

Experience does pay-off

We have too much experience

Which is even better

Can u question Costacurta's season last yr ?! That was all experience, oh and he was playing as a RB

It was a good season for 39 y.o . But the point is that is not healthy for the team to have so much players over 30. It's also bad in a long run. A team needs to be balanced

I am with u 100% .. We need fresher legs on the pitch, but I was emphasizing that experience has it's advantages

After the loss at Istanbul .. Kaka said that if it wasnt for Costacurta and Maldini's support and strength, many of his team mates, and he himself, would have handled the situation differently (.. many senarios could come into context..) .. I take it that it was the experience that they had that gave the team a lift when there was no light left after Istanbul

So in a sense .. They'r presence is important, but I get what ur saying too

Of course experience has it's advantages but we are using it too long. I want people to say that Milan has a young and hungry team. We all want that. Maybe next year

For sure next yr mishale

cannavaro already won golden ball?!?
how so, it's awarded on 27th november...

The info always leaking a week or so early...

Cafu is having a problem so he might not play tomorrow. The same with Jankulovski. Milan Channel's probable line up:

Dida
Simic Costacurta Maldini Bonera
Pirlo
Brocchi Seedorf
Kakà
Oliveira Inzaghi

not happy...

Oh my, Bonera at LB????

Why doesn't Carlo play Antonalli there?? I mean Bonera isn't a RB and neither is he a LB.

Still Milan channel still get a few details of the line-up wrong on most occasions

Kaka aims for knock out blow

Kaká is hoping to continue his rich vein of goalscoring form in the UEFA Champions League tonight against AEK Athens FC and secure AC Milan's place in the knockout stage of Europe's premier club competition.

Top scorer
The 24-year-old Brazilian playmaker, who struck a stunning hat-trick in Milan's 4-1 win over RSC Anderlecht on Matchday 4, is top of the scoring charts in the tournament alongside Chelsea FC marksman Didier Drogba with five goals and he is eager to find the net again at the Olympic Stadium as Group H leaders Milan seek to secure their place in the next round.

Tough Italians
"It feels great to be at the top of the goals chart and I hope I can score again so I can stay top," said Kaká, who admitted his return of two goals in 12 Serie A games was down to the tight defensive strategies employed in Italian football. "In the Champions League defences are more open than in the Italian championship which is much tighter so it's more difficult to score."

'We are favourites'
Kaká shrugged off the club's poor domestic record and said it would not have an adverse effect on this evening’s showdown. "We have had some difficulties in Serie A but the fact that we have experienced players helps us a lot," he said. "The players know how to use this frustration we have had in a positive way. I believe we are favourites for first place as we were at the start of the competition."

French fancy
When asked who would finish second in the group, Kaká plumped for LOSC Lille Métropole as he said he was confident he and his team-mates would see off AEK. "I hope and believe things will go well for us and if they do then Lille must be favourites for second place in the group," he said.


source

What can I say

This is definately the positive we can take from the forum of our team so far

Game just a couple of hrs away .. Though I'm in a mix, seeing as we only need a draw to qualify; I dont know whether to watch the Real Lyon game, or ours ..

Any insight ppl ?

Ours! F**k Real & Lyon! We need a win to be assured of 1st place, there's been too many draws that we should have won! A team like Milan should never play for a draw! Plus, I wanna see goals tonight for Oliveira, Pippo & Gila!

I saw somewhere that Cafu and Janku have problems and maybe will not be available for the game and theirs subs will be Costacurta(Cafu) and Bonera(Janku) Maybe Bonera is better from left than right

Well he can't be any worse at left back! Still, I think it should be Simic-Bonera-Costacurta-Maldini in defense. Maybe worth taking a look at Antonelli at left back in the 2nd half. Also heard that Seedorf maybe out & Gourcoff in his place - not a bad thing, it'll allow Seedorf to rest a bit.

Kaka on the goal hunt

Milan star Kaka hopes to confirm his goalscoring form in the Champions League tie with AEK Athens on Tuesday.

The Brazilian is currently the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, along with Chelsea ace Didier Drogba, and he’s looking to confirm that position by helping Milan into the last 16.

“It feels great to be at the top of the charts and I hope I can score again so I can stay there,” said Kaka, who struck an impressive hat-trick in the tie with Anderlecht on Matchday 4.

“In the Champions League defences are much more open than in the Italian championship, that’s why it’s more difficult to score,” added the 24-year-old, who has only netted two goals in the domestic League.

“We have had some difficulties in Serie A, but the fact that we have experienced players helps us a lot,” explained the Brazilian international.

“The players know how to use the frustration we feel in a positive way. I believe we are favourites for first place as we were at the start of the competition,” concluded Kaka.

The Greeks have scored nine goals in their last two League games and hope that a sold-out Olympic Stadium will aid their cause.

But Coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer knows that it will not be an easy match and does not believe that the Rossoneri are in crisis, despite their difficulties in Serie A.

“When you face a team like Milan, you have to be aware of the quality that they have," commented the tactician.

“It is hard to explain their slow start in the Italian championship, but if you look at their starting line-up, it is full of stars. I don’t know which Milan we will face, but I want to see a strong AEK.

“Games in the domestic championship and the Champions League are very different.

“My players deserve credit for the fact that they have scored many goals lately, but we mustn’t forget that the defence is a vital part of football too. I’m hoping for a good footballing contest.”

Football Italia

hope Kaka scores at least 2 ! !

official:
Milan (4-3-1-2): Dida; Simic, Costacurta, Maldini, Bonera; Brocchi, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kakà; Ricardo Oliveira, Inzaghi.
It's good line-up, except Bonera, maybe Antonelli was better choice

This is something new... well... forza milan !!!

Well.. bonera plays awful as a rb , i hope can can do it better as a left back...

ps. yes i do belive in miracles

This season miracles aren't on our side.

I don't think so. Milan Channel's got emissaries from any Milan match, home and away. They're pretty much the most accurate source to rely on about such things. Yesterday Bonera was the only one to not change his position (as LB) during the whole training session. But we'll see, in a couple of minutes we shall get the official line up. Here's AEK's one anyway:

Aek Athens (4-3-1-2): Sorrentino; Cirillo, Dellas, Papastathopoulos, Tziortziopoulos; Emerson, Zikos, Tozser; Manduca; Liberoupoulos, Julio Cesar.