CL: Barcelona (2) vs AC Milan (2) - 13/09/2011

[laxman]

Barca Training

Josep Guardiola decided to call up 19 players for the game against AC Milan, all participated in training session at the Nou Camp stadium on Monday evening. The team stays overnight at a local hotel tonight ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game.

In the first CL game this season Guardiola will be without Alexis Sánchez and Gerard Piqué and the two worked apart on their recovery from injury as the rest of the players trained on the Camp Nou pitch. Marc Muniesa from the Barcelona B ranks also trained with first team.

The team will also train at the Camp Nou on Tuesday at noon behind closed doors.

Squad list: Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Fàbregas, Puyol, Xavi, Villa, Iniesta, Messi, Thiago, Mascherano, Keita, Sergio, Pedro, Maxwell, Afellay, Adriano, Abidal and Fontàs.

Read more: http://www.totalbarca.com/2011/news/training-at-camp-nou-2/#ixzz1XnWWQjs1

 

[Ashish]

Please win

 

[kevin_dk]

Please win

Enough said .

 

[Raghav]

People posting Cassano-less formations!

Pato cannot lead line on his own without a second striker or proper trequartista behind him.

Pato and Cassano can both play this game , Allegri just needs to instruct them to close down more put more pressure uptop.

Boateng, Nocerino should do the hustling and bustling in midfield

Seedorf should close down and get us out of tough spots by retaining possession in midfield like he does really really well, then build an attack from there.

Van Bommel to basically boss messi around.

Abate and Zambrotta/Taiwo/Anto to be solid and try not fucking things up.

Sandro and Silly to read the fuck out of the game with impeccable positioning

Cassano to create and hopefully Pato to finish well from the the 2 or 3 chances he will get.

WE DO HAVE A CHANCE GUYS.

FORZA MILAN !

 

[Maldiniac]

i wouldnt mind catenaccio and getting a draw hehe

 

[acmilan4ever]

Probable line-up vs Barcelona (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Abate-Nesta-T. Silva-Zambrotta; Nocerino-Van Bommel-Seedorf; Boateng-Emanuelson; Pato.

**********************

 

[acm55]

matchday!

 

[acm55]

please win

+1

 

[Senatore_M84]

uninspiring lineup, uninspiring squad prep. Teams not in shape and it's midseptember, that's just not acceptable and i don't get how galliani allows it. Such a lax attitude, IMO.

People claim milan is an old team yet, zlatan, robinho, mexes, taiwo, flamini are injures (all under 30 and in 'prime' age) and aquilani deemed not fit.

This sort of stuff just bugs me.

 

[Barometer]

uninspiring lineup, uninspiring squad prep. Teams not in shape and it's midseptember, that's just not acceptable and i don't get how galliani allows it. Such a lax attitude, IMO.

People claim milan is an old team yet, zlatan, robinho, mexes, taiwo, flamini are injures (all under 30 and in 'prime' age) and aquilani deemed not fit.

This sort of stuff just bugs me.

What do you wanna say with this? Sorry, it's early morning here

 

[Raghav]

uninspiring lineup, uninspiring squad prep. Teams not in shape and it's midseptember, that's just not acceptable and i don't get how galliani allows it. Such a lax attitude, IMO.

People claim milan is an old team yet, zlatan, robinho, mexes, taiwo, flamini are injures (all under 30 and in 'prime' age) and aquilani deemed not fit.

This sort of stuff just bugs me.

THAT !

Boateng and Emmanuelson playing behind the striker .. a role which greats like Rui Costa, Rivaldo, Kaka have played recently for Milan. (and obvioiusly the numerous legends from past years)

Sad time indeed..

Please Allegri include Cassano

 

[Barometer]

Is that a Christmas tree formation?

 

[Raghav]

I was gonna go watch the game with a couple of milan fans and some barca fans today but i'm just so dissapointed with everything at the moment that i'm just gona get the bourbon out and watch in my pj's at home

 

[Senatore_M84]

What do you wanna say with this? Sorry, it's early morning here

i mean i guess you're right. Could be worse.... could be playing a 3-4-3 with a lineup where average age is 31

 

[necromancer]

Probable line-up vs Barcelona (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Abate-Nesta-T. Silva-Zambrotta; Nocerino-Van Bommel-Seedorf; Boateng-Emanuelson; Pato.

**********************

Good one.

People totally forgetting how important it is to have one top quality forward on the bench. Cassano and Pato SHOULD NOT start together in our current situation. Seeing a bench with your best option as Emanuelson is laughable.

-----------Pato---------

--Urby-------------Boateng--

---Seedorf--MvB--Nocerino---

----------Defense-------------

With Aquilani, Cassano in the bench.

This would be one of the best ways to lineup with the players we have fit now. Do not underestimate the need of having good players in the bench. Please.

 

[Barometer]

i mean i guess you're right. Could be worse.... could be playing a 3-4-3 with a lineup where average age is 31

Ya ya no need to take digs at me this early

I think you'll manage a draw. Agree?

 

[Senatore_M84]

This would be one of the best ways to lineup with the players we have fit now. Do not underestimate the need of having good players in the bench. Please.

maybe, but i can think of games like RM (1st leg) and tottenham last year where we blew it before we could get to bench.

Sometimes its best to go with your best options then hit bench with whatever you got. Maybe El Shaarawy or kingsley? I don't know I'm not in training, but sometimes a kid is just fearless enough to not know what he's walking into.

I see logic to both sides of argument.

I think Allegri is kinda using the 'striker on bench' as an excuse to use 5 mids though. And to be honest, I'm not sure i disagree per-say...

 

[necromancer]

maybe, but i can think of games like RM (1st leg) and tottenham last year where we blew it before we could get to bench.

Sometimes its best to go with your best options then hit bench with whatever you got. Maybe El Shaarawy or kingsley? I don't know I'm not in training, but sometimes a kid is just fearless enough to not know what he's walking into.

I see logic to both sides of argument.

I think Allegri is kinda using the 'striker on bench' as an excuse to use 5 mids though. And to be honest, I'm not sure i disagree per-say...

El-Shaarawy and Kingsley are kids now. You win big games by having a very suitable Plan B, because big games often settle into a midfield skirmish after both teams' Plan A cancels out..

Mourinho last year had a Plan A, B, C, D for the semifinal match. Unfortunately for him, red cards spoiled that from happening

Going at Barca with your best lineup and a bench with Emanuelson as the brightest attacking threat is sheer foolery.

In the first half, focus should be to control the game. Or rather, control as much as Barca would let you control. For that you need a strong midfield.

In any case, games need to be broken down into small pieces when planning. I'm sure Allegri is doing exactly that. And that's what he should do.

 

[FaRa13]

the circumstances are bad. everything is going against us. First we have a damn strike which delays our season. Then we have a shit opener. Then, on top of a number of injuries and unfit players, we lose ibra. Oh, and it just so happends that barcelona is our first CL game, away too.

 

[Dominate]

Pato-Cassano
Dorf
Boa-Nocerino
Bommel
Zambro-Silva-Nesta-Abate

Aqua to come on for Seedorf if we winning, boateng if Losing

 

[Sven]

My favoured formation to play against Barça would be a 4-1-4-1. Though for Milan, it would be kinda new, actually the first tactical change since Allegri moved from Leo's 4-3-3.
But it can work I guess, some sort of mixed xmas three with Boateng RM and the LM drifting inside to get the ball and tracking back to defend the wide areas.

Probable line-up vs Barcelona (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Abate-Nesta-T. Silva-Zambrotta; Nocerino-Van Bommel-Seedorf; Boateng-Emanuelson; Pato.

Allegri my soulmate

 

[jedediah22]

If that's the line up we're starting with then i guess the idea is to hold the game at 0-0 till maybe the 70th min before releasing cassano and possibly aquilani... It's dangerous, but it's better than putting all your eggs into one basket(i.e. starting with your best 11 and having no impact player on the bench)

 

[deadnoob]

the circumstances are bad. everything is going against us. First we have a damn strike which delays our season. Then we have a shit opener. Then, on top of a number of injuries and unfit players, we lose ibra. Oh, and it just so happends that barcelona is our first CL game, away too.

HEY! One thing is going our way! Did you see that Inter game


For this game, the lineup is alright. Obviously if this was the KO round I'd be pissed, but there isn't much riding on this game right now.

Allegri probably feels that the best way to beat Barca is a strong midfield and defense. I wish we had someone better than Urby (and even Boateng) to play behind Pato though. If that were the case, the lineup would be really good IMO. Cassano could play there, but I think he is way to lazy for this formation.

Edit: also, why is Aquilani not in the lineup? I guess he could come on for Seedorf in that role if Seedorfs legs give out. I do like Seedorf starting better not that I think about it.

 

[Dominate]

also since I dont think Cassano will go the distance bring Aqua on for him with Pato lone ranger up front.

Dorf and Aqua behind him, same compact central midfield

 

[necromancer]

Another important thing is that Cassano and Pato are right now, both 70 minute players. Their output goes down significantly after that. With both of them looking tired and clueless in the last 20 minutes, we can never find a goal.

The two of them must not start together as things stand.

 

[Leptiran]

We need a player's who can keep a pressure on them so i support idea to start with emanuelson, boateng and norcerino. Sedorf could be crucial in cl games but we also need aquaman...no idea how Allegri will set our game

 

[acm55]

Pato-Cassano
Dorf
Boa-Nocerino
Bommel
Zambro-Silva-Nesta-Abate

Aqua to come on for Seedorf if we winning, boateng if Losing

Nocerino

 

[Capo Ultra]

The expected formations according to La Gazzetta dello Sport:

Our formation is the same one that most Italian media predicted last night, btw.

 

[Barometer]

Man I'm so pumped for this game

 

[Az.]

Haha even RWJ makes jokes about Barca being divers