Rui off. Standing ovation !!

That's really great

The standing ovation for Rui was beautiful to see

zauri ties for lazio

we are a classy club..we always welcome back our hero's with respect

Benfica scored

FT 2:1

haha did u see rui's gesture from the dugout?? he's like tone it down boys

Damn ruined our clean sheet

look at dida miss the centering pass.... that useless faggot

damn!!! I hate those damn last minute goals

a host of chances and some hap hazard defending but a result.
back to creating chances at will but do need to finish them, and as for the defending Bonera needs to play we can't just wait for Maldini's return.
But a win to start the group so now for Parma and the return of Gila!!!

The year 2029? By then machines will be playing football and football players will have become obsolete.

Just as I predicted,...2:1, like the 60ties final,..

oh ye of little faith!!!

after a not so great start in serie a i'm glad to see we were able to get a good result.

2-1 for what really happened during the match is too bad.

We should have won by at least 4-0.

nice game good flow Rui Costa and Nuno Gomes there only good performers on the night to bad we had to concede the last goal but nice goals from Pirlo and Inzaghi

FORZA MILAN !!!!!

Take it easy man ! thats useless faggot won us the 2003 cl !

good for him that was 4 years ago, he's ruining the team right now and now is all that matters.

dont forget how he lost us the final in 05/06.

anyways it's time that we get a new keeper that is clear. i'm sure dida will have some good this season but he does a lot more ban than good.

anyways mediocre game for nesta, bad for kaladze and dida. everyone else was amazing.

What a game !!!

I think the score line should have been far greater than a 2-1 ... The team as a whole played very well. And Benfica had two good chances (on being off the post), but praise to Dida who did well to stop two attempts that were destined to be goals.

Rui Costa I mean did u guys see the San Siro crowd, they never stopped cheering for him !!! And he deserved it !!

Carlo's team have shown today the quality of Milan. Though I think Milan can express itself ever more, but with time (by midseason) Milan will be at it's peak. And if this could be considered an average Milan performance, then we are all in for a treat in the coming games.


Always and forever, Forza Milan

I'd say 3:1 or 4:1 would have reflected how the game went better. Ancelotti and co. would have to be wary of getting complacent toward the end of the game like we did so very often last season. The defense will certainly have to improve. Nesta misses his partner for sure.

Dida(6): He didn't have to do anything special. But he still wasn't good enough. Looked bizarre at times and was shaky again when it came to high balls.

Oddo(7.5): Great performance despite looking seemingly tired. He was a pain for Benfica's left side and moved nicely in the area. Some good combinations as well.

Nesta(7): Nesta did really well, despite what some might say. He was covering his side really well and also covered for Kaladze and the always advancing Oddo as well at times.

Kaladze(5): Can you tell now why porty and dst don't rate him now? He is a mess. He is all over the place and lacks concentration. He is really weak on high balls as well. He can have his good days, but he is far from being consistent.

Jankulovski(7): Great both defensively and offensively. He has really learned to time his runs forward perfectly now.

Gattuso(7): Very good. Never gives up and wins us a lot of balls. Breaks the oppositions play and gives us counter-attacking opportunities.

Pirlo(8): Magnificent. A wonderful goal from a free kick and a sublime assist for Inzaghi combined with some amazing free flowing passing, makes Pirlo, without a doubt, man of the match.

Ambrosini:(6.5) He was solid, but not as good as he can be. Still he played an important part in this victory.

Seedorf(7): His passing and control on the ball was amazing to watch. Some good runs down the left flank also. He was very good.

Kaka(7): You might think he had a bad game because he didn't score, but that's just because he has set his own standard so high. If it wasn't for his movement and precise passing, we wouldn't find so much space in a million years. Kaka is an integral part of this team.

Inzaghi(7): He was great. Always put himself in good scoring positions and was rewarded with a great volley goal. The only reason he didn't get a higher rating is because he also missed many opportunities.

Carletto:(7.5) He didn't take this game lightly and got the 3 points.

Forza Milan!

I Heart Rui

im not making excuses for that goal. the defense in general was pathetic, and it's a little irritating that they just lapsed in concentration like that because that scoreline does make it look close than it was..but have at least a little respect. really though? a useless faggot? thats kinda over the top

I agree with most of your ratings, Max. I just disagree with two, I thought Nesta/Dida were equally as useless as Kaladze tonight, I'd give them all 5.

Yeah, too bad. What hurts even more is that it came in the last minute, when I was imagining who would be top of the group between us and Shakhtar, I guess I know now

no but it's annoying how he managed to allow that goal and tarnish the scoreline when he clearly throttled benfica.

Agree with Max about ratings.

We showed a really good game for this time of the season. Last year we played like this only in the winter. The game came easy to us and Benfica ,despite a few chances, wasn't in the game at all. We need to play like this in the league and be more concentrated at the back.

-Dida's form is worrying.
-We should give Bonera a chance to play alongside Nesta.
-The fans at San Siro lost all patience towards Gila. He was booed again.
-I hope we can preserve Pirlo's current form as long as possible. He's simply amazing.

Well, it's a good result. It SHOULD have been better; Milan had a lot of scoring opportunities and really should've closed on one or more of them.

The pluses?
-PIRLO - utterly amazing form and I really hope it continues.
-Perhaps because of Pirlo's form, the midfield was combining well and creating opportunities.
-Both Jankulovski (with direct shots on goal) and Oddo (more with crosses though he did try once) did well. Oddo's crosses were better than they have been of late.

The minuses?
-The center of defense looked really shaky. I *heart* Nesta, but even I'll admit he wasn't at his veryvery best. Kaladze? Was not good at all. He's the one who lost Nuno Gomes at the end and allowed the conceded goal. I hope God gets better soon or Carletto lets Nesta/Bonera play some.
-(please don't hit me BMW!) Dida. I'm not going to slate him to the extent that some others have, but he's having confidence issues and/or form issues that are really worrying.

Other unrelated comments:

-It was nice to see all the Milan players hug Rui Costa at the handshakes. And it was really nice to see the big ovation the Maestro got when he was substituted.

-I like Benfica's away kit. Pink is hot. [/random girly comment]

Useless faggot? Please man, keep it cool. The goal wasn't his fault anyway and it shouldn't have counted as a Benfica player was offside and he determined the outcome... if it wasn't for him Dida would have come out to get it. Dida was bad in general but this is not a proper way to describe his performance!

My rating for this game .. As I see it, the team played average compared to what it can really do ...

Dida - 6.5

Oddo - 7 (Bonera81' NA)

Nesta - 6,5

Kakha - 6.5

Janku - 7

Ringo - 6.5

Maestro - 7.5

Capitano - 7

Seedorf - 6.5 (Puma75' 6.5)

Kaka' - 6.5

SuperPippoInzaghi - 7 (Gila84' NA)

Carlo - 7

Now imagine the team performing a 8 or a 9 against the likes of Madrid or Barca

Just seen the higlights...but as for R7's question it would be to paraphrase Porty...ownage.

I'm not completely over the moon yet. When you go up against say a Chelsea, it would be different. They don't play as open and for the win as Benfica. They'd probably also try and mark down Pirlo in mid-field with Makalele, and leave Kaka to the faster Essien.

It's usually why in these games Seedorf becomes a factor, and then we think why Seedorf is so immense only in the big games.

That was unnecessary. It's just a game, for God's sake. And I'm not saying this as a Dida fan.

Goal.com

Goal.com


Pirlo is a very important piece of this Milan. Without him, our midfield would be too slow. And I agree with Carlo, he is unchangeable!

U seem to be forgetting a certain someone

I'll give u a hint ... he's fat

does he mean Parma game or the next CL game!!?

I think CL. He will be ready in around 2 weeks.

a very good start to another victory

who cares if shoudlnt have counted that dint change the fact that the pass went right past right him and he made no attempt to stop.

how else can you describe his recent blunders?

He made no attempt to stop it because the first player who was offside prevented him from doing so, that's what I'm trying to tell you... he had to wait to see if he would take a shot or anything, you can't blame him because of an opposing player's inability to kick the ball...

As blunders! In any case, Dida may be playing bad right now but he was a vital part of our CL triumph in '03 and our scudetto win the next season and he's offered much to this team. Calling him a faggot does not only offend him me as well! You can express your dislike in some other way... a proper one (and the same goes to me when it comes to Kaldaze of course)!

ok i dislike dida and he is homosexual

no but really the first thing you learn when ur little is dont stop playing until you hear the refs whistle.

Dida is deaf...

DP

That explains a lot .. NOT !

Forza Dida

Love him or hate him, it wouldn't kill you to be a little more civilized about it, though.

civilized? try living in a box then.

Hahaha....there should be a brotherhood(or should i say sisterhood) of Dida defenders as well.

I don't believe for one moment that Dida is crap. I'd rate him for instance higher than Lehmann for sure.

Dida still comes in the top 5 goalkeepers of the world at any given moment, and I know who I trust when I'm in the final of the CL.

Bad form? Everybody goes through it. If I do have a gripe it is that I don't see any young goalkeepers in Milan. Kalac is not really one for the future. I'd love to have like the Pato of goalkeepers in Kalac's place.