It could work. But Oliveira is also a good header while we need Ambro in the midfield.


It shows that the team is still retired physically AND mentally from last year's exhausting summer.

I think there is still some confidence preserved inside of you... otherwise you wouldn't be posting in this thread!

I guess you didn't bow before the shirt yet, did you? Get all the energy you can from it!


Sergio has to play in the second half for sure. He must come to help the attack and that way Janku will be able to focus more on his defensive duties. Remember they only attacked from the right!

We put Sergio on the left side in his place, it isn't the same but I think it could really work. Too bad we can't actually test it out. I know for a fact that Carlo wouldn't.



Yep, but the fact that we still made it to the quarters despite all of that is a testiment to how strong we are

Well of course there is still some dying hope in me. I'll just wait and see, but I'm just preparing myself so I won't be very disappointed when it actually does happen.


I'lll go and try it again


Yeah, and I think Salihamidzh (sp?) is suspended for the second leg so that threat will be significantly lessened

And I know for a fact that we wouldn't so easily say "OK let's try this" if we were in his place!


See? You still have it in you!


I'm not overconfident myself but I know there's gonna be a battle on that field and maybe we can come alive out of it.


Liar, you never tried it in the first place! Just hung it up by a coat hanger and pray!


Salihamidžić? Is he suspended? That's good news... I think. And Sagnol is also injured, he's a great defender!

That's why I'm not the one getting paid for what he is doing. Still think it can work better then haveing any of our strikers up there.


I don't doubt this fact either, but I'm not so sure that we can come out of it alive, a small hope is always there but...it's very tough.





Yeah I think he's suspended, I'm not entirely sure. I'll go and check it out

I think that, for the return leg, Bayern's defense is going to be pretty shaky. Sagnol is out, I think Van Buyten is out (accumulated cards), and Salihamidzic is also out for accumulated cards. Granted, they do get Van Bommel back, but...well, I think there's some reason to be hopeful, especially given how well the team played yesterday.

Also, I'd love to see Serginho in the game at some point.

You know where I could check out who's suspended and who's not? I checked UEFA's site but I couldn't find anything

Van Buyten is in. It was Lucio that was close to be suspended but unfortunately he hasn't received a yellow card

Do you know anything about Salihamidžić's situation? Is he suspended?

I checked on uefa.com and it seems that no Bayern player is suspended. Neither Sali nor Van Buyten. Only Lucio had a yellow card from the Real games (that's how I figured out as there was no info on the preview).

Yes he is...yellow cards...I think Görlitz will be in

If Inzaghi is fit, I'd like to see this:

-----------Dida-------------
MO----AN-------PM-----MJ
-----GG-----AP------MA---
----------K22--------------
----------FI------R7--------

Inzaghi should only play if he is fit. It's going to be a tough assignment and I don't think we can afford to start with only 10 1/2 fully fit players. In saying that, Pippo has proved over and over again that he is a predator and that he can deliver a goal when we really need it (Ajax 03, Lyon 06). Only Pippo, Ancelotti and the medical staff will know if he is ready to go. I like having Ambro in the line-up because he is a threat in the air from dead balls and he was one of our better players in the first leg.

If Inzaghi isn't fit, I think we should go for this:

-----------Dida-------------
MO----AN-------PM-----MJ
--------GG------AP---------
-----YG----K22-----Serge-
------------RO---------------

The main objective of this formation would be to stretch the Bayern midfield so it won't be so easy for Hargreaves to shut out Kaka as he largely did in the first leg. Hopefully by having team mates to his left and right, Kaka will be more able to get free in the middle of the park and won't have to pull out wide to receive the ball as he did in the first leg.

However, it is an unfamiliar system and I'd be surprised if Ancelotti went for something other than the 4-3-2-1.

guys dont worry !! Ancelotti will pull a trick from his sleeves and he always does !!

Hsm. Okay, I went back and looked at match reports on UEFA's site for Bayern's last 3 games. It doesn't look like any Bayern players are out for accumulated yellows (though a lot of people have 1). Ah, well.

i think this line up would do well
dida
oddo-nesta-maldini-segino
gattuso
pirlo-ambrosini
seedorf
kaka-r7

but maybe that is just me

thats just you

Guys R7 aint playing he has an injured knee

Plus he is having a heart attack for even being considered to play

what?

Where did you here this?

Nice one you SOB. Nearly gave me a heart attack for a moment there, But when I posted it I realised what you meant

Well, he's a sub anyway.

Well tom...I don't think R7 can play. First off he's not a Milan player, secondly he'll exceed our EU quota, and thirdly he's on our primavera squad being groomed to replace Berlusconi.

But jokes aside, I like the 4-2-3-1 posted earlier, but then again unfamiliar system which we won't play until all hope is lost. At least going by Carlo's habits. That said, we played good against Empoli. I dunno, how it will turn out against Bayern. It's not our game play that bothers me. It's the exhaustion. If Rino gives out, our defence is under pressure(thank god Nesta is rested). If Rino and Andy P give out(likely), we're screwed.

Lemme see what I'd play....

GK: Storari (until the last moment, to confuse Bayern, and scare Nelson )
DF: Our standard back 4. Oddo, Sandro, Paolo and Marek
MF: Rino(in front of the back 4 in the Makalele position)
Pirlo and Max(alongside each other. Max guards Pirlo's back and has decent creating skills, so can be a threat going forward. Takes the physical stress out of Pirlo. Max is key, he'll have to run like Rino)
Kaka and Yoann (advanced behind our sole striker)
Oli( I honestly don't believe Pippo is fit. And if he's less than 100% we can forget about him giving a 110 which we'll need to win this one)


So basically...

Starting Lineup

Oddo-------Sandro---------Paolo----------Marek
------------------------Rino------------------------
------------Max-------------------Andy------------
-------------Yoann--------------Kaka-------------
------------------------Oli--------------------------

Hopefully, this can balance our offense and defense decently. And we can push, creatively(NOT recklessly) in the first half. This formation can be played without us really altering our playing style. Which is possession and short passing. Also This ensures, Kaka isn't isolated. Yoann from what I've seen has very good off-the-ball movement. Dare I say it...even better than Turtle's. Though Carletto made a very astute observation about his keeping the ball just half a second too long. It not just breaks down the play but also interferes with our short passing, and negates the effect of Kaka finding a little space. Coz there's enough of a delay for him to be hunted down.

Now this should I hope give us a lead, and hopefully we have enough in our tank to push this on till the 60th. And here whether we score or not(if we concede, we're dead anyway), we'll have to do the following...

Inshallah...nobody picks up a knock, I can't make a game plan for that

60th-70th minute play changes
Defence remains unchanged...

Oddo-----Nesta------Paolo-----Marek
-----------Brocchi---------Max-------
-------------------Andy----------------
(^^^or should it be Y20?Can he play here?^^^)
--------Clarence----------Kaka-------
---------Oli/Pippo------Sergio---------

I know this is messed up. But then I have to consider the possiblity of us taking it into xtra time and then maybe even penalties. On hindsight, it seems our only option is for Pippo to come in for Oli, unless Oli makes us all rub our eyes in amazement with his performance, which I don't think will happen. Actually I wouldn't even insist on Pippo if he's not gonna be fit.
Kaka will have to play alongside Clarence. Risky...but Clarence is always cool when he's a sub. And his experience is needed so we don't go to pieces, in our dying minutes, attack wise. Plus, he can use his physique(dst would say his posterior) for helping out in defence.

Ok, lemme explain the Sergio part. He's gonna be wing forward. We got two DMFs and it doesn't make sense to have him play withdrawn winger or even as LB, since we need to score, and he's a better finisher than Marek.

If Pippo is not coming on coz he's unfit or he'll be useless or whatever...I know Oli can drift down the flanks. So can Sergio, this is essentially cutting down the flanks and slicing the centre open, so a cutback can leave either Kaka or Clarence with the long shoot. This little move was inspired by the Battle of Gaugamela. (wiki it biatches!). Or Kaka, Clarence, and Pirlo can combine down the middle, do a little chip/through ball which the pacy Oli and Sergio can run onto behind the defence and punish them.

Otherwise, if Oli has been a flop, and Pippo has to step in, then Sergio's purpose will be to cut in and cut out, weave in and weave out, basically make enough of a nuisance and gap for Pippo to squeeze in, for Sergio to put in his cross and or killer pass. I wish Gila were here for this one, this would work much better with him. Either way, 60th-90th minutes...the cutback is on for the Kaka-Clarence cannon shot, coz I'm sure Bayern's defence is gonna withdraw. So we'll need that quick through 180 degree pass to the centre field.

For me, our key players(besides the usuals): Max,Marek and Oddo. Too much hinges on our full backs giving us width. If Marek/Oddo doesn't cross, we're done for. He takes one hit point off Max. If my theory works, Max will easily be MOM....he's the fulcrum here. Sergio will be important for width. And pace. Him playing as wing forward, will mean he'll still have pace even if we take it into xtra time.

Phew....my monster post for the week.

Our best bet:

-------------Dida-------------------
-Oddo Nesta Maldini Jankulovski-
--------------Pirlo-------------------
---Gattuso Ambrosini Gourcuff---
----------------------Kaka----------
------------Oliveira-----------------

I think that's a good one, and if we need to score we could sub Yoann for Sergio and also if we need to close down the game then put Clarence in instead of Yoann to help us keep possession better.

@Jack, I'm sure that Carlo won't ever try that out, I like the concept of it though. Especially Sergio as a left wing forward. I really would like to see this, Sergio, Kaka and Oli running at their defence could really turn this game on it's head.

Well, since we are throwing wild ideas out there, this could be interesting:

-------------Dida---------------------
-Oddo--Nesta-Maldini--Jankulovski
-------------Pirlo---------------------
------Gattuso---Ambrosini----------
--Oliveira---Kaka----Serginho-----

@Jack .... JACK for next season's Coach !!!!



I doubt Sergio will play more than 30 mins in this game, he'll be the l8 sub, that I am sure off. And Seedorf will start definitely. Oli and Kaka upfront, Seedorf slightly withdrawn from Kaka ... Pirlo Ringo and Ambro in midfield .. Basically it will be a 4-3-2-1.

Milan will defend more than attack this game. That is for sure

And inshalla we win

I like Max's idea. May not be the most realistic in terms of what Carletto will choose, but we don't have a whole lot to lose and it'd be something Bayern likely won't be expecting.

Pippos form really scares me, he's really walking over the field like a ghost. I miss the passion for the game he always, the fire which amde him a unique player.
Anyway I would let him play in the starting eleven, he'll be motivated as hell, believe me!
As for Seedorf, I'm with han, his experience will be of great use for us, Gourcuff just isn't ready for such a game.
My starting line uo would be like this


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

Oddo---------Nesta--------Maldini----Janku----


-----------------------Ambrosini------------------

------Gattuso---------Pirlo-------------Seedorf-

-----------------------Kaká-----------------------

---------------------------Pippo------------------


Ambro showed various times that he can play as DM, and we need Pirlos creativity in Rinos power in the attack, so we should let them play more upfront, especially Pirlo who played a great first leg against Bayern. In certain situations he can fall back and help Ambro. Rino and Seedorf should play a bit more on the flanks than usual so they can support Pippo with crosses. I think Rickys position is pretty obvious.
I know it's a bit dangerous to let Pippo play but he still has it in him, I know that!


Anyway, here's my possible Bayern line up:



-------------------------Kahn----------------------


----Lahm--------Van Buyten----Lucio---Lell-----


----------Hargreaves-------Van Bommel--------


-----Brazzo--------------------Schweinsteiger---

------------Podolski----------Makaay-------------

I hope Serginho will be used in the game, either from the start or as a 2nd half sub if needed.

Alright Carlo if you are listening i have an audacious plan

The Plan:

Formation 4-0-6

Mentality - Gung Ho

Players - standard defense then we go for the shock and awe effect, no midfielders, (well playing as mids anyway) and an all out attack strategy with everyone bombarding the goal, we get thre goals then defend like crazy, becuase we know we can slip up three times and still win the match, three early goals are what is needed

Its a very unorthodox method, but it will confuse the hell out of them, and seeing as they cant attack, (both goals from a man city reject) or are inefficient at doing it we may sneak a win

End Result 3-3

YOU GUYS GOTTA START BEING OPTIMISTIC. COME OVER TO THE LIGHT SIDE, F@CK DARTH VADER AND HIS DARK SIDE. HE SMELLS LIKE SUSHI AND IS UGLY



anyways iam super ultra confident of a win in this game. I have alot of bayern fan freinds who say bayern will win but i doubt it highly. I would rather go to the f@cking zoo pay monkeys in firing squads to shoot sh!t and jizz at me for an infinite amount of time than admit defeat. I would rather rub my NUTZ against a cactus than admit defeat.
and this is coming from a guy who is super ultra pesemistic

Allright so be confident guys. 4-4-1-1 for the win and god speed to sergio

Anyway, here's my possible Bayern line up:
-------------------------Kahn----------------------
----Lahm--------Van Buyten----Lucio---Lell-----
----------Hargreaves-------Van Bommel--------
-----Brazzo--------------------Schweinsteiger---

------------Podolski----------Makaay-------------

[/quote]
Are you really positive that Salihamidžić can play? Cause, the croatian commentary said before the San Siro match if he gets a yellow he will be suspended. And he got the yellow, and the text "misses next match" appeard. So I was pretty sure he was out.

Anyway, I don`t think Ottmar is gonna putt Lell as LB. Is Sagnol really out? I suppose Lahm will stay LB and Görlitz will step in as RB. Also, maybe Ottl could make a suprise..but it isnt realistic..


As for our team:

-----------------------Dida------------------------------
---------------Nesta--------Maldini(Bonera)-----------
Oddo----------------------------------------------Janku
----------------------------Ambro-----------------------
-------Rino-----------------------------------------------
------------------------Pirlo------------------------------
----------------Seedorf----------------------------------
--------------------------------------------Kaka---------
--------------Pippo---------------------------------------

I think it even the idea of putting Oli and Pippo together is for Carlo a tabu. And as for Sergio...man, I love him, but he can`t start. His "effect" is better as a last 25min sub, when half of the team(on both sides) starts to cover their weariness. Also, Sergio can`t play the whole 90 minutes. And I`m still pretty sure Maldini can`t eighter. Plus eventually Pippo...so we really can`t start a match with two/three players who can`t play the whole 90 at the same pace.

Galliani eyes Euro semi

Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani is confident that Milan can beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League, despite being held at home in the first leg.

The Rossoneri travel to Munich on Wednesday for the return match of their quarter-final, with the Bundesliga boys favourites after they forced a 2-2 draw last week.

“I am sure we can qualify as we are stronger than Bayern,” said Galliani to Sky Italia after Saturday night’s win over Empoli.

“The result of the first leg doesn’t correspond to what really happened on the pitch. They scored in injury time and Alberto Gilardino’s goal shouldn’t have been disallowed.

“He also didn’t deserve to be booked and could have been available for the next game. In any case, we have been playing very well lately – only Inter are doing better than us.

“Am I afraid about the referee? All Champions League matches are generally well handled, although mistakes can be made.”

Milan’s 3-1 win over Empoli allowed them to leapfrog the Tuscan side in the race for fourth place and Galliani could not hide his satisfaction.

“Today was a very important day for the championship. We are one point shy of Palermo, who have also played an extra match,” explained the former Lega Calcio chief.

“We leapfrogged Empoli and now we face three matches away from home, one in the Champions League and two in Serie A. We will see what the situation is after April 18.”

Getting all Fired up im scared about the Ref nothing else

[quote=Fillipo Simone,Apr 9 2007, 08:44 AM]
Anyway, here's my possible Bayern line up:
-------------------------Kahn----------------------
----Lahm--------Van Buyten----Lucio---Lell-----
----------Hargreaves-------Van Bommel--------
-----Brazzo--------------------Schweinsteiger---

------------Podolski----------Makaay-------------

[/quote]
Are you really positive that Salihamidžić can play? Cause, the croatian commentary said before the San Siro match if he gets a yellow he will be suspended. And he got the yellow, and the text "misses next match" appeard. So I was pretty sure he was out.

Anyway, I don`t think Ottmar is gonna putt Lell as LB. Is Sagnol really out? I suppose Lahm will stay LB and Görlitz will step in as RB. Also, maybe Ottl could make a suprise..but it isnt realistic..
As for our team:

[/quote]
Ahem, of course Lahm will play on the left flank and Lell on the right, I was just a bit confused here... I really think Lell will play, cause Sagnol also didn't make it in the last Bundesliga Match, and he always plays when he's fit. If Brazzo can't play they'll probably let Hagreaves play on the right flank and put Ottl in front of the defence.

The absolute key for us will be to score first. If we go 1-0 down, it will be very very hard to come back in their stadium. If we do get the first goal then Bayern will have to push forward for the equaliser, leaving themselves vulnerable to our counterattacks. As long as the score is 0-0 we will be right in the game. Even if it gets to the 80th minute and it's still 0-0, we'll have one last period to roll the dice and really push for it, knowing that a piece of individual brilliance or a Bayern mistake will be pretty close to a golden goal.

It's going to be a great game, I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm in no way trying to be pre-emptive or to jinx us, but will people be hoping that Man U make it through or Roma? Just interested to know your thoughts.

That Rooney goal opened the way for ManUtd...Roma has very little chnaces left. They wont survive Old Trafford...

Chelsea and Liverpool are also on their way!! Man...this could be an all-england final!!!With only Milan defending the decent football style...

I like that, we have nothing to lose at this moment, so why not g for it? And it's not loke it's an all out attack, we still have 2 defensive mids, covering Pirlo.



Well if you compare both sides on paper then we are the sure winners, but sadly games are not won on paper.

We really have to play well to beat them in the Allianz, if we somehow score an early goal we would shut their fans up and hopefully try and control the match, instead of inviting pressure on our selves like we did in the first leg

I think we need to score two goals in order for us to control the match. Last year Milan scored one goal from a penatly spot and Milan barely took control of that game, soo I'm not quit sure if the team can score two

Bayern last season where much better then this Bayern. And if I remeber correctly they were the ones who were the strong favourites going into the ties. Even after the 1-1 draw, some considered them as favourites.

I also remeber reading this article on eurosport.com before the second leg, the title was: 'Bayern To Expose Milan Fraud', they where talking about how bad our form has been and how we won a couple of Serie A games because of some lucky goals and that we didn't deserve to take anything from the away leg. And then we slaughtered them in the San Siro.

I'm not saying this because I think we can go through, because in reality I think the percentage of us going through is something like 5%. But, we have better quality in our team, we outplayed them in the first leg and they got lucky twice. When in reality we should have won that game with a 4-0 scoreline, considering the wrongly disallowed goal and the 2 miracle saves that Rensing didn't even know how he had made.

I only hope that the players will go out there and give there all.

Ancelotti had rested some players last saturday including Paolo, Nesta, Oddo, Ambro, Seedorf; and played some for few minutes like Janku, so most probably all above will start against Bayern...

Taking into consideration of Gila's suspension, Serginho's coming back to the squad, and Ancelotti's preference of playing lone-stiker upfront in away matches, there're going to be many tactical decisions by Carletto...

My line-up choice:-
--------------------Dida----------------------

--Oddo-------Nesta-----Paolo------Janku---

-Gourcuff-----Gattuso--Pirlo------Seedorf-

--------------------Kaka'---------------------

------------------R Oliveira------------------


If there's any better moment for Oli to pay his tribute back 2 Milan, this is the best time... Kaka would play behind Oli and I believe this Samba partnership can be deadly to Bayern.. Abt Seedorf and Gourcuff, my idea is to create an attacking approach but still have the depth in midfield with 5 players controlling the middle of the park, so 3 AMF (Kaka, Seedorf & Yoann) and 2 DMF (Pirlo & Rino)

The back-line will consists the same line-up last week that conceeded 2 "dirty" goals to Van Buyten.. Perhaps, they could be wary of the sneaky Belgian more..
Dida on goal.. like I have better options???

expect also Ambro, Pippo & Serginho to feature some parts in the match...Ambro could come in for either Seedorf or Gourcuff.. Pippo for Oli if the latter still had his mind on his sister and cant concerntrate on game...and Sergio replacing Kaka or Janku..

Why would he still have his mind on his sister. She's free. And he's been feverish and having stomach complaints since.

pardon my wild imagination.. perhaps he's afraid that his sister's being re-kidnapped & held as hostage, just in case he scored against bayern.

pippo will get the shout in front of oli.
oli is so out of form and has no confidence at all and in such a huge game as this i would rather see super pippo play despite his 28 offsides he will be more likely to get us a goal

True that mish, but we weren't not considering Pippo coz he's not good enough, it's coz he ain't fit.

smoke screen my friend!! he'll play i'm sure as he's named in the squad to travel
PORTIERI: Dida, Kalac, Storari
DIFENSORI: Bonera, Cafu, Costacurta, Favalli, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Nesta, Oddo, Serginho Simic,
CENTROCAMPISTI: Ambrosini, Brocchi, Gattuso, Gourcuff, Kakà, Pirlo, Seedorf
ATTACCANTI: Inzaghi, Oliveira.

if both Pippo and Oli start than we'll have more chances of winning.
Otherwise, if we play with 1 striker thats gonna end this years CH.L campaign.
I'm damn pretty sure about that.

WE NEED 2 STRIKERS AT ALL COSTS

Carletto won't play 2 fowards in Europe, at the moment (this season).
Well... he loves to call Kaka' a foward.

I'd say it will be the same 11 like in Milano but with Inzaghi for Gilardino.

agreed!
he has absolutely no faith in oli at all and i can't blame him either