Debate: Arsenal & Milan - Battle Of The Bad KeepersThe tie of the round for the Champions League last 16 is undoubtedly Arsenal against AC Milan. Carlo Garganese looks at some of the key battles that will take place…
1) Young Against Old The majority of the English media believes that Arsenal will be too fast, too powerful, and too fit for the ageing legs of Milan. This prediction may prove to be correct, and there is no doubt that on a physical plane Arsenal have a clear advantage over Milan.
Technically The Gunners are as good as anyone in Europe, and of course their five-point lead at the top of the Premiership is proof of just how outstanding they have been this season.
However it is completely foolish to write off Milan just because nine of their probable line-up tomorrow will be over the age of 30. The Rossoneri have supposedly been “too old†for a good five years now, yet in these five years they have reached three Champions League finals (winning two), one semi-final and a quarter-final.
One cannot under-estimate just how important experience is in big European knockout games.
"Milan are not in the best condition, but no one is at the moment, neither in Italy nor in Europe,†said Rossoneri boss Carlo Ancelotti.
"However, these matches don't come down to fitness, but to prudence and experience. We feel like experts in this sense and are used to these types of games."
This could be the key. Arsenal’s best hope is probably to start the tie well. If they were to fall behind early tomorrow night their inexperience may tell.
The stage is set – will it be the explosive youngsters of Arsenal who pull through, or the cunning, wily old-heads of Milan?
2) Fabregas Vs Gattuso Cesc Fabregas really is a little genius. He is to Arsenal what Andrea Pirlo is to Milan. The heartbeat and playmaker of the side, he will have to be at his best if The Gunners are to topple the European Champions. Two years ago he ripped Juventus apart during the 2-0 first leg quarter final win at Highbury, scoring the first and embarrassing Patrick Vieira in the centre of midfield.
Milan’s bulldog Gennaro Gattuso will be handed the task of stopping Arsenal’s heartbeat. The 30-year-old has not been on top form this season, yet he has been much improved since the New Year despite a recent injury. Gattuso relishes matches against English opposition and he completely marked Cristiano Ronaldo out of both legs of last year’s semi-final against Manchester United. Fabregas is more cunning than Ronaldo and will be harder to stop but if Gattuso manages to, this could have a huge bearing on the outcome of the tie.
3) Kaka Vs Flamini The European and World Footballer of the Year, Kaka, always reserves his best form for big knockout games. Last season he proved the difference against both Celtic and Manchester United, and he will be looking to continue his impressive record against British teams. Kaka is so important to Milan because he is the one player who provides that injection of pace to what is (excluding Alexandre Pato) a rather slow-tempo Milan team.
Matthieu Flamini has been described by some, including his own manager Arsene Wenger, as “Arsenal’s Gattusoâ€. Flamini’s intensity and spirit are qualities that the Italian possesses. However the most important requirement in stopping Kaka is tactical intelligence. The Brazilian has often ripped apart those who try to get stuck in against him. The players he has struggled against are the likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Mascherano, who use their cunning and shrewdness to close up the space on the field.
4) Adebayor Vs Nesta With 19 goals in the Premiership, Emmanuel Adebayor has been on absolute fire this season. The forward really has a lethal set of weapons at his disposal – fast, strong, skilful, and brilliant in the air. Adebayor, who has failed to score in the Champions League this season, will undoubtedly pose Arsenal’s biggest goalscoring threat.
If there is one player in world football who is best equipped to stop Adebayor it is Alessandro Nesta. Fast approaching his 32nd birthday, Nesta is still world-class, and in fact is arguably the best centre-back in world football at the moment. The ex-Lazio man is one of these players who gets better, the better the opposition he is up against. Against the smaller teams, Nesta’s concentration can be a problem and he is prone to mistakes. Against world-class attackers he is almost always perfect. In December in the Milan derby he played Zlatan Ibrahimovic off the pitch.
5) Lehmann Vs Fiori One position on the field that certainly could influence the outcome of this tie is in goal. Jens Lehmann is still regarded as something of a laughing stock in Milan after a disastrous spell at the club in 1998/99. In one of his games for the Rossoneri he was so poor that he was substituted before half-time by Coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lehmann may have improved since then but you always feel there is a mistake in him somewhere.
As for Milan’s goalkeeper, well not too much is known about him as he hasn’t played a game of football for four years. With Nelson Dida injured, and Zeljko Kalac also likely to miss out due to a dislocated finger, 38-year-old third-choice shot-stopper Valerio Fiori is set to make his Champions League debut. Fiori has not played for the Rossoneri since the 2003/04 season, and has played just two matches in eight years.
What are your views on this topic? Who will come out on top - the young of Arsenal or the experience of Milan? Who will win the personal battles? Could the rather shaky-looking goalkeepers play an important role? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think.
Carlo Garganese
Probably yes. I hope he makes him regret it though. Pato would be the best option of course but I think Gila would do very well.
Oh dear. 
).
how did dida get injured by siting down or geting up ?
