28/11/07 - Benfica (1) vs AC Milan (1)

Even if we get only a point, we'll remain in first place until the next match.

Beemer said:

Even if we get only a point, we'll remain in first place until the next match.

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a point guarantees qualification, but a win makes it to where unless celtic defeats shakhtar, we can coast in the celtic game and take first place, important for seeding purposes for the round of 16, of course.

This last years, we allways have ended the group stage in the first place.

jpick said:

a point guarantees qualification, but a win makes it to where unless celtic defeats shakhtar, we can coast in the celtic game and take first place, important for seeding purposes for the round of 16, of course.

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I don't want Milan to kill themselves and drain all their energies in this game...so that management have an excuse for a loss (should it happen) against Juve.

Right now, (IMO) we need to get the 3 points against Juve more than the 3 points in the Champions League against Benfica.

We just can't afford to not take full points against teams ahead of us in the table.

CentreD13 said:

im kind of expecting them to start with one striker and split time between gila and ronaldo... 60 and 30 minutes respectively

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Yes, that would have been ideal. But with Ambro out and Clarence doubtful, we will have to play all our fit midfielders from the start. I wonder what happened to Puma ... we could have used the depth in moments like this.

Seems Adu will get the start for Benfica. If we win we can rest our starters for the Celtic rematch since we'll have clinched the group.

we will probably play 5 in the midfield with gila as a lone striker..
i don`t expect maldini to play at all,and ronaldo will get 30 or 20 mins..
subs:ronaldo for gila/or whoever plays in ambro`s role,gourcuff for clarence and cafu for oddo..
we will get the result we need,i`m sure..

EDIT:what the hell is wrong with emerson,a few days ago i read that he`s coming back??

Benfica - AC Milan
0 - 4

Goal scorers:
4x Ibrahim Ba!

madtherchot said:

^^ Yeah ... doesn't matter whether it was old. That was a pathetic decision.

If Benfica turn it up a notch, they're very capable of creating problems for us. They'd have probably learned from the first leg + give Pirlo little room. We'd need other players to step up their game if this happens ... Kaka' and the forwards in particular. Clarence is doubtful, so would be a huge loss if he doesn't play. Would rather see Gourcuff on the left if this is the case.

--------- Gila ----- Fatso

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

Clarence/Gourcuff - Pirlo - Gattuso

Sergi -- Bonera -- Nesta -- Oddo

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

Brocchi for Fatso; Favalli for Kaka'; Willy for Gila IF we have the lead. Cardozo and Rui to be given little time on the ball.

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fatso? he name ronaldo and if he fat then england are good at football................

Kellet said:

Benfica - AC Milan
0 - 4

Goal scorers:
4x Ibrahim Ba!

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Even if Gourcuff was the only midfielder called up for the game, he would still not play. I want to see the guy named fatso play as much as possible in this game and hopefully open his scoring account this season tomorrow.

Ronaldo9 said:

Even if Gourcuff was the only midfielder called up for the game, he would still not play. I want to see the guy named fatso play as much as possible in this game and hopefully open his scoring account this season tomorrow.

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See? The nickname is catching on. We call him Fatty/Fatso/Rotundo but we still want him to do well because he is a Milanista now. Besides, we can't exactly rely on our other forwards (except Pippo).

goal.com

POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s

Benfica (4-4-2): Quim; Pereira, Luisao, Katsouranis, Leo; Nuno Assis, Petit, Rui Costa, Rodriguez; Cardozo, Nuno Gomes

Milan (4-3-2-1): Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Gourcuff; Kakà, Seedorf; Gilardino

smartyin said:

POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s

Benfica (4-4-2): Quim; Pereira, Luisao, Katsouranis, Leo; Nuno Assis, Petit, Rui Costa, Rodriguez; Cardozo, Nuno Gomes

Milan (4-3-2-1): Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Gourcuff; Kakà, Seedorf; Gilardino

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I would be sad if Ancelotti keeps benching Bonera, that guy has been performing great, it's time he becomes a first team regular!

MilanoMichael said:

See? The nickname is catching on. We call him Fatty/Fatso/Rotundo but we still want him to do well because he is a Milanista now. Besides, we can't exactly rely on our other forwards (except Pippo).

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I'd like to see you disrespect the other 'Milanistas' with pathetic names like that...especially the Italian ones...

pics from training in Lisbon

nice catch by dida



ronaldo looks good.. i bet he will score tonight



gourcuff-seedorf-kaka




i see bonera there.. hope he will play.. couldn't forget for what he did against Cagliari



kaka-brocchi



ronaldo and nesta..




so Forza Milan... 1-3 (i changed it from 0-2 to 1-3)

pirlo
ronnie
gilardino

one from Besiktas is Rui

1-1
(rui costa, kaka)

all is well

leaving bonera on the bench while playing favalli would be a poor decision..
bonera has produced some nice performances since he came here..(except for the first part of the last season)..
anyway i hope to see him play from the start because serginho probably won`t play (from the start)..
and i hope to see gourcuff getting at least a half..no matter how he plays,he has to get some time..

bobanito said:

I would be sad if Ancelotti keeps benching Bonera, that guy has been performing great, it's time he becomes a first team regular!

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It's difficult because Kaladze is playing fairly consitent and he can be as good as Nesta when he gets into the first team for a good spell. But Bonera's about 3 year younger and isn't as prone to mistakes as Kaladze. Kaladze should go on the left IMO and Bonera in the centre. If Gourcuff's on the left we don't need a fully attacking left back.

Kalac#16 said:

It's difficult because Kaladze is playing fairly consitent and he can be as good as Nesta when he gets into the first team for a good spell. But Bonera's about 3 year younger and isn't as prone to mistakes as Kaladze. Kaladze should go on the left IMO and Bonera in the centre. If Gourcuff's on the left we don't need a fully attacking left back.

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Yeah I'd love to see that, in fact, I'd love to see us fielding a 'defensive' defense, and forget about wingers on a line of 4...
kaladze-maldini-nesta-bonera

That would give a bit more freedom to mid fielders, and maybe you could give some rest to gattusso who by the way, needs it. Then I'd try a single defensive midfielder, pirlo, and gourcuff, seedorf and kaka; ronaldo and gila upfront.

Right now, having Janku injured and Oddo coming out from one, Gattusso a bit far from his best shape and Ambro injured, I think it´s the time to try that.

Benfica vs AC Milan (goals and chances LIVE)






Holders AC Milan need just a point at Benfica on Wednesday to wrap up qualification for the Champions League last 16 with a game to spare.

The Serie A side would have 10 points with a draw and could not be caught by Celtic or Shakhtar Donetsk even if the pair draw in Wednesday's other Group D game in Glasgow.
A draw in both matches and final day wins for Celtic at Milan and Shakhtar at home to Benfica would leave all three teams on 10 points.

Places would then be determined by a mini-league between the three, taking away results against Benfica. Celtic would top the mini-league on seven points, Milan would go through second with six points and Shakhtar would be eliminated with four.

A defeat or draw would eliminate bottom side Benfica, who have three points, while a win would give them a chance.

Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo, cup-tied for Milan's Champions League triumph last term, could be in line for his first European appearance for the Rossoneri after making his comeback from six months out in Sunday's 2-1 win over Cagliari.

The Brazilian, who had struggled to shrug off a leg injury, hit the post and won a penalty in a decent display in Sardinia as Milan improved on their patchy domestic form.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti may decide two starts in a week for Ronaldo is too much with Alberto Gilardino in good form up front. Left back Marek Jankulovski is still out after knee surgery, Emerson and Filippo Inzaghi are also missing while Massimo Ambrosini is suspended.

Benfica came from behind to beat Academica 3-1 away on Saturday with two goals in the last four minutes sealing their fifth successive win in the Portuguese Premier League.
The Lisbon side, who boast former Milan playmaker Rui Costa, are second on 25 points from 11 matches with no defeats.

Midfielder Nuno Assis suffered a leg injury during the match and is likely to be replaced by Uruguay's Cristian Rodriguez. Armando Petit, who returned on Saturday after two months out, should replace Augustin Binya, who was suspended for six European matches by UEFA for a tackle on Celtic's Scott Brown in their last Champions League match on Nov. 6.

POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s

Benfica (4-4-2): Quim; Pereira, Luisao, Katsouranis, Leo; Nuno Assis, Petit, Rui Costa, Rodriguez; Cardozo, Nuno Gomes
Milan (4-3-2-1): Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Gourcuff; Kakà, Seedorf; Gilardino

Gourcuff to start? Wild must be speakin' alot to Ancelotti...

zZ[-_-]Zz said:

Gourcuff to start? Wild must be speakin' alot to Ancelotti...

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i hope if this is true, gourcuff plays well. this might be his last shot to impress before a loan spell.

Kalac#16 said:

It's difficult because Kaladze is playing fairly consitent and he can be as good as Nesta when he gets into the first team for a good spell. But Bonera's about 3 year younger and isn't as prone to mistakes as Kaladze. Kaladze should go on the left IMO and Bonera in the centre. If Gourcuff's on the left we don't need a fully attacking left back.

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i agree... i think it would be better to have bonera in the center and kaladze on the left instead of favalli... granted kala doesnt have much attack to offer but neither does favalli who in my opinion is almost completetly useless..

bobanito said:

Yeah I'd love to see that, in fact, I'd love to see us fielding a 'defensive' defense, and forget about wingers on a line of 4...
kaladze-maldini-nesta-bonera

That would give a bit more freedom to mid fielders, and maybe you could give some rest to gattusso who by the way, needs it. Then I'd try a single defensive midfielder, pirlo, and gourcuff, seedorf and kaka; ronaldo and gila upfront.

Right now, having Janku injured and Oddo coming out from one, Gattusso a bit far from his best shape and Ambro injured, I think it´s the time to try that.

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interesting thought but i've never really liked bonera playing on the right... he just seems more comfortable in the center even though when we bought him im pretty sure that he was supposed to be a right back...

zZ[-_-]Zz said:

Gourcuff to start? Wild must be speakin' alot to Ancelotti...

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I lost hope on him getting his chance + I think he is already a lost case thx 2 A.
Anyway , I wont believe that Gou will start till I c it.
A blow job given by Ambro @ 1 am will surely give Ambro the edge over Gou.

Wild said:

A blow job given by Ambro @ 1 am will surely give Ambro the edge over Gou.

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We can't trust Goo in big games like this. Bu tI think Seedorf is still hurt so Goo might play alongside Kaka' with Ambro playing in Central Midfield.

Wild said:

I lost hope on him getting his chance + I think he is already a lost case thx 2 A.
Anyway , I wont believe that Gou will start till I c it.
A blow job given by Ambro @ 1 am will surely give Ambro the edge over Gou.

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Then Ambro has to go to some UEFA officials as he is suspended for tonights game...
Gourcuff will start tonight (as long as Carlo won't start with 2 strikers) and hopefully he'll finally has some great moments on the pitch tonight.

My prediction:
Benfica 1:3 Milan
'17 0:1 Gilardino
'21 0:2 Gilardino
'79 0:3 Ronaldo
'82 1:3 Petit

I'm hoping to see Bonera and Gourcuff starting from the begining. Bonera was good against Calgiari and Gourcuff needs to have a chance to show us what he's got. I predict a draw withiout goals.