Important match. A must-win one. 6 pts clash.

Bonera will play for Maldini, and Nesta might need some rest. Gila should start since he can't play against Bayern.

My lineup:


----------------Dida-----------------
Cafu----Nesta---Bonera---Janku
Gattuso-------Pirlo------Gourcuff
----------------Kaka----------------
-----------Gila-------Ronaldo------


Maybe Serginho gets some time in the second half.

I'm depressed after the day's events...so screw it. Rip, tear, make those b@stards bleed. Somebody's gonna pay for today's mess, and I'm sorry it has to be Empoli, but ur in the devil's way.

Burn them Paolo...with the holy wrath of God...burn them.

We should try to save that for the 2nd leg

A dress rehearsal might not be a bad idea

Please dont make me laugh, not today at least, I'm still mourning

p.s. rnt I a hypocrit; with al those smilies

Absolutely....death to the infidel who laughs in our state of misery....

No....we'd be doomed without milanfan's first couple r7 and dst.

We have to be like the first rossoneri forum to throw in our towel for gay marriage.


I hijacked the thread...again

My lineup:


----------------Dida-----------------
(Å imič) Cafu----Bonera---Kaladze---Janku (Sergio)
Brocchi-------Pirlo------Gourcuff
----------------Kaka----------------
-----------Gila-------Ronaldo------

I'd start Cafu at right back. I'd definetly want to rest Oddo for Bayern, I was more than impressed with him tonight.

I dont think i can handle anymore of this Milan heartbreak, if we loose then we end up fifth and kiss goodbye to the CL, if we win, well dosent change a hell of a lot

For gods sake if we cant beat Empoli we cant beat anyone

Give credit where it's due, they're up there with us for a reason

Im in a highly critical mood, dont know why though...

I don't blame you, the only reason I'm not is because it's only really half-time

Impressed? Try depressed... did he take ONE good ball INSIDE the box? I give him kudos for his defensive work though.

Oddo has some solid crosses, that one to Gila being exemplary. He did a good job defending Sweinstegger but like the rest of our defense had trouble with the high balls.

I think Kaka only took one good ball into the box and that's his job. Oddo is a right back, he should never be in the box, maybe putting crosses in, but not running in.

This game will be won, no doubt. I hope he uses reserves for this game. comon gila and ronnie. We believe in you!!

Kaka needs to rest. He has been playing constantly lately!

I actually thought his crossing was the highlight of his game rather then his defending. All of our clear cut chances plus the goal came from his assists. Ambro's header from his corner, Gila's header from his cross and Pirlo's goal from his lob.

He was good keeping Shweinsteiger quite but I think the first goal was partly his fault since he let Pizzarro? (was it him?) out jump him.

Yeah, that would be a good idea.

I think we should rest some key players for this one. Kaka, Pirlo, Paolo, Oddo and even maybe Seedorf.

We should play something like this

Cafu--Nesta--Bonera--Sergio
---Brocchi--Ambro--Yoann---
---Ronaldo--Gilardino--Oli---

I think this will be enough for Empoli, if not we have a good enough bench to inflict some damage on them.

Nesta needs to continue to regain match fitness so playing is a must. Bonera will slip back into the CB position. Sergio needs to be fit for Bayern, I think he can be decisive for us in that one. And Cafu did well against Roma and I think is enough for Empoli.

We'll basically be resting our entire midfield this way, but they need it, and we an't have them burn out before 90 minutes again in the second leg.

Gila can be supported by R9 and Oli in this one without the need of a playmaker.

If we don't manage to break the dead lock within 60 minutes then I would bring on Pirlo and Kaka, but if we manage to win without them it would be great.

i'd like to see this

Milan - Empoli -- Football Italia preview

The stage is set for a crunch encounter at the San Siro on Saturday as Milan and Empoli fight to keep their dreams of a Champions League spot alive.

Milan’s season is hanging by a thread. After the heartbreak of conceding a last-gasp equaliser against Bayern Munich in midweek, their Champions League adventure is in the balance and if they are to compete in Europe’s showpiece event next term they have a lot to do on the domestic front.

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Roma did the Diavoli’s cause little good and allowed Empoli to overtake Carlo Ancelotti’s men. With time running out Carletto knows they need maximum points from here on. Fourth-placed Palermo are in poor form but still have a four-point cushion and the Milanese faithful must be wondering just how costly their Calciopoli deduction will prove.

It remains to be seen whether Empoli’s extraordinary season will have a fairytale conclusion. Gigi Cagni has worked miracles with a side expected to struggle for survival, but will need some more wizardry if his minnows are to hold off Milan and overhaul Palermo.

Whatever happens this will be the Empolesi’s most successful season in the history of the club after the 4-1 rout of Ascoli last weekend saw the Azzurri break their record number of points accumulated in a single Serie A season. With nothing to lose and hero status assured, they can approach this game quietly confident.

When the two sides met in Week 12, a struggling Milan side was forced to settle for a stalemate despite seeing Ricardo Oliveira rattle the woodwork twice. Despite their underdog status, Empoli have recent memories of victory at the San Siro. The Tuscans shocked Milan 1-0 in 2002-03 but have lost the other six meetings between the two sides – there has never been a draw in this fixture.

Ancelotti’s injury crisis is finally over. Only Argentine defender Leandro Grimi is unavailable due to an abdominal complaint and continues to wait for a debut. The Brazilian partnership of Oliveira and Ronaldo is set to start once more despite Alberto Gilardino’s goal as a substitute against Roma. There is pressure on Clarence Seedorf to improve on lacklustre recent performances as Yoann Gourcuff is breathing down his neck.

The visitors also have the luxury of a strong squad. Sardinian youngster Ivano Baldanzeddu is the sole absentee with acute lower back pain. Cagni’s main decision is whether to stick with a two striker system or drop one of the ex-Milan pair of Nicola Pozzi or Luca Saudati who both bagged braces last weekend.

Man on fire: Nicola Pozzi (Empoli) – The 20-year-old marksman is so committed to the Azzurri cause that he was willing to lose the mobility of a finger for life to avoid a six-week absence and took full advantage with a vital double last weekend.

Last season: Milan 3-0 Empoli

Form guide: Milan (D W L W D) Empoli (W W D L W)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milan (probable): Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Simic, Jankulovski; Brocchi, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kaka; Ronaldo, Oliveira

Empoli (probable): Balli; Raggi, Pratali, Lucchini, Tosto; Busce’, Almiron, Moro, Vannucchi; Pozzi, Saudati


Channel4

No I mean he didn't deliver good crosses.


He had some good times but he wasted too many chances.

No. First goal was Nesta's fault, he left Van Buyten all alone. I still can't believe their CB scored twice!

*prays for a Seedorf injury to keep him out for a week*

I don't think that would be such a great thing to happen.

Against Empoli Yoann is probably the best idea, but not against Bayern. Yoann struggled against them in the San Siro and he only had to play for 6 minutes. He can't handle playing in Germany, at least not yet.

Resting our key players is a must in this match. But I don't think that will happen

Exactly

Why did he struggle against Bayern? You don't really blame him for committing a foul in the midfield even if it ended up on a goal...

He was not worse than Seedorf in my opinion!

No it's not about that, but you could see that he was nervous.

I don't blame him for anything, especially not the second goal when there was a fould committed on Nesta and Rino, so the goal never should have even stood.

But he was nervous and you could see that. So playing him in our season decider in germany isn't the best of ideas.

F_ck I'm missing this match as I'm off to Hong Kong for a geography trip with my school on friday!

I'll have to get up at like 5:30 in the morning there to see it. Hopefully it'll be on as they've got good channels!

I am missing the bayern match and the one after that aswell (messina)

Well, I hope that Carlo plays Gourcuff to rest Pirlo or Seedorf! Also, I hope that we win as it is important to send out a message to bayern saying 'WATCH OUT, WE'LL HAVE A GO AT YOU!'

FORZA KAKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FORZA GOURCUFF!!!!!!!!!!
FORZA PIRLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FORZA MILAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a 4-3-3 !!!!!!!

Carlo wouldn't dare

He even wouldn't think of it

Well u can't blame him, it is a Serie A club .. And as such, open and attacking play isn't one of it's characteristics

But the thing is, we all watch EPL and La Liga and seem to draw conclusions that Milan could play this formation or that formation, when in reality and Italian team plays best with a ridgid formation that depends on a solid back four with 2 DMs and a fast counter attack. This is the building blocks of any Serie A team.

Then, you could play with two up front and wingers once u have perfected the previous tactic ... In all fairness, Milan played with two up front last year and the one before, but always fell back to it's ridgid 4-4-1-1 when it was closing time.

Serie A, u couldn't expect more

I don't like wingers! Playing with full-backs is my style! Watching a certain left-back launching countless attacks starting from his own box is how I grew up...

Who? Ashley Cole? You like Ashley Cole??!!!! You are gay!!!

The midfield is very stable though.

And Carlo thinks of Kaka as an attacker so when we play with 2 strikers and him behind them he says we'll play with 3 attackers.

But we really need to rest some players if we are going to go to Germany and try to win it.

And that formation is the only solution for it

True, but non of our strikers can deliver the ball from midfield to the 18-yard box, and for that we need Kaka .. Milan will play with two strikers against Empoli, Carlo wouldn't risk leaving the midfield weak like that. Our game is derived from the midfield ..

if we can manage to win the next 2 games (H-Empoli and A-Bayern) trust me we are Champions League winners by now, and the 4rth place will be undoubtable.

So, the next 2 matches will tell if Milan is really great.

Kaka can not defende. Even if Carlo will play him as CM, he still would be considered just as an attacker. He can't make a tackle or stop somebody.
It's just not his best quality.

I think Ronaldo can deliver balls into the box. He obviously won't do the same thing as Kaka but he can be creative and make assists, same for Oli who sometimes likes to drift to the wings.

I'm not saying they can do what Kaka does, but I think it's worth a try to allow Kaka and the other mids some rest.

Despite what anyone says, Ambro can make good passes, he's not as bad as they make him out to be, he can be creative. That's where he played for us before Pirlo took his place in the DMF position.

Same for Brocchi, who can deliver some great passes and chips. He's made some great assists this season.

I would really like to see Carlo try this out. Our midfield 4 need a break to recharge their batteries and be 100% for next Tuesday.

If we are struggleing and still don't have a lead be half time, then yes, put Pirlo and Kaka in, but if we manage to win it this way then it would be really great.



That's what I was trying to say when I said that Kaka is considered an attacker. He won't help out in defence because that's not his game. Him or another striker won't make much of a difference to our defencive game

No Maldini, Nesta, Brocchi, Ambrosini or Seedorf. Carlo said Ronaldo and Gila will start.

Maybe Carlo will try this:

Oddo----Bonera---Kaladze---Serginho
Gattuso---------Pirlo----------Gourcuff
------------------Kaka-------------------
----------Gila-------------Ronaldo------


Or possibly use Serginho in midfield, who knows.

YESS Sergio is back!!!

Get him ready for Bayern

I really want to see him start but I also want to see Yoann playing so he should play in defence

Why is that? Injury problems?

Gila may be not be playing at his full potential but even that way he's way better than Oliveira. And Oli also gets in Ronaldo's way in many occasions.

i like that but Kaka badly needs to rest

Interesting to see if he'll play the 90 mins, cuz Carlo is only taking Gattuso, Gourcuff, Kakà, and Pirlo to this game, so I don't know .. He might play the full game. I doubt Carlo will rest him

If we're ahead, he might pull Kaka out near the end of the game and bring on Janku/Serginho (whoever doesn't start) and put them in midfield on the left.

Too bad Brocchi and Ambro are out, seems like Rino and Pirlo might have to play the full game.

Ancelotti: Forget about Bayern

Carlo Ancelotti has told Milan that tonight’s clash with Empoli is more important than the Champions League decider in Munich.

“I think it would be easier for us to finish fourth in Serie A than reach the Champions League semi-final,” the Coach told his squad.

“Saturday’s match is a crucial result in the fight for fourth place – a target we have been chasing since the start of the season.

“We will be facing a team that is in front of us in the table, plays good football and has put together a lot of points. We must forget about Bayern.”

Without the eight-point Calciopoli penalty, the Rossoneri would find themselves in joint third place with Lazio – who themselves have a three-point handicap – but as things stand they are one behind minnows Empoli.

Just days after the confidence-hitting 2-2 draw with Bayern at San Siro and leading up to the second leg in Munich, Milan must focus on the task at hand.

“I am looking to field my best formation. A few players have not yet recovered fully, but there will not be a total squad rotation,” explained Ancelotti.

“Paolo Maldini cannot play two games on the trot, while Alessandro Nesta has just returned from a long lay-off and needs rest. Clarence Seedorf has to do some specific training work, so these three probably won’t feature. If the others have recovered, then they will play.”

The after-effects of that Champions League draw are not just physical, as Nelson Dida and Alberto Gilardino were both heavily criticised by the fans.

“Dida did not make any kind of mistake on the first goal. On the second he perhaps should have covered the near post a little netter, but it was a fortunate situation for Bayern and not just a single man’s error,” insisted the Coach.

“I spoke with Gilardino, but only to tell him he played well. He was a good focus point for the team moving forward and his was a positive performance.”

Gilardino will be suspended for the second leg of that quarter-final, while Ronaldo is cup-tied.

Yes, this seems to be the first line-up.
The only change I thought about was that Brochi would play instead of Gattuso, but as I can see Brochi is not even called-up for this match.

Carlo gave up. Would have never expected anything like this from him

This is what he said in the press conference not in the locker room. He probably wants the Germans to think that way...