CL Matchday 2: Ajax (1) - AC Milan (1) 28/09/2010

[Pedro]

The second match of our UEFA Champions League group will be against Ajax. Currently we are leading the table (along Real Madrid):

1. AC Milan (3 points)
2. Real Madrid CF (3)
3. AFC Ajax (0)
4. AJ Auxerre (0)

Are Milan and Real going to have 6 points after Tuesday? It would make sense, but who knows what will happen. I'm going to the Amsterdam ArenA and I am not a luck bringer for Ajax. For example: I was there when Ajax lost very unexpected against Copenhagen. So this one is in the pocket for us. Forza Milan!

The match starts on Tuesday at 20:45 (8:45 pm) Italy time (GMT+01:00).

 

[Jasper]

Amsterdam ArenA

Out of curiosity - they spell it with a capital A in the end?

 

[Pedro]

Out of curiosity - they spell it with a capital A in the end?

Yes.

 

[Jasper]

Yes.

Sponsors? Do you know the reason?

 

[AC_Wesley]

Sponsors? Do you know the reason?

Because then it would have the shape of a Arena.
ArenA

Some say the second capital A stands for the city Amsterdam.

 

[Pedro]

Because then it would have the shape of a Arena.

It is supposed to look like the stadium itself.

 

[Savo]

-------------------abbiati--------------------
zambro-------nesta-------silva--------antonini
-------------------gattuso-------------------
-----------boateng--------pirlo---------------
----robinho------ibrahimovic----------dinho---

- if dinho doesn't work hard and actually try, sub him at the start of the second for seed, pippo, or even flams and switch shapes.

- we could see abate on later for zambro if we need to attack more if we need a goal, but right now i want zambro to start in CL and abate in the league until abate gains the composure necessary for CL

- also, sub rino when he gets tired as we saw today he was MOTM and then when he got a little tired we put on flams... PERFECT... rino cant plau 90 mins, and for me 60-65 mins is about perfect for rino these days

- also. seed usually does step it up in CL games so he could start, but I'd much rather he came on as a sub as he should be... he is so much more effective coming on later when the opposition is a little tired and he has fresh legs.

 

[AC_Wesley]

It is supposed to look like the stadium itself.

Cant believe ITS a stadium.

De Kuip ftw! Feyenoord! Feyenoord! Feyenoord!

 

[Sonny.Bill.Williams]

Dinho in away games. . . . . ?

 

[Sophie]

Amelia
Zambro Nesta Silva Antonini
Prince Gattuso Pirlo Seedorf
Pippo Zlatan/Robinho​

I wouldn't mind Abbiati but I think Amelia deserves a game.

Edited to add Clarence for a 4-4-2. I would also be fine with Seedorf starting instead of Pirlo and the front 3 all playing, but I'm curious to see 2 up front (Pippo and whichever of Zlatan and Robinho is less tired).
Also I guess Rino might be too tired and it would be stupid to fatigue him and spoil his great form, so maybe Flamini could start. It all depends on how quickly they recover I suppose.

 

[Raghav]

As lazy as Ronaldinho is he should be good vs a team like Ajax who will not defend with 9 men behind ball. He will have space to exploit.

We need to start Flams for Gattuso i think - We should use Gattuso once a week to start and he will be able to play awesome like today.

Pirlo has played every game for a while i would rest him start Seedorf instead.


--------Abbiati---------

Zam--Nesta---Silva--Anto

---------Dorf---------
------Boa----Flams----

--Robinho------Dinho--

---------Zlatan-------


Not underestimating Ajax but we should have Verdi on bench. No point keeping 3 DF or 3 MF.


Bench Dinho regardless of this performance against Parma. Because small team + away game = Dinho chilling on field planning the party for the night

 

[Marco Gullit]

The only things I'd like to see from our formation is that we put a team that can cope with the threat Ajax will have when attacking normally, but more so on the counter, they are so quick up front! The interchanging from their strike force has been brilliant to watch this season...

Following Dinho's perfromances recently he has to be benched, this is not the sort of match that we can afford to lose, and his lack of defensive cover would worry me... Especially if he continually loses the ball to VDW who can tear up the right!

If we put Binho in for Dinho and have a player set up as a propper DM then the rest of the team will pretty much do what it does. But we must show Ajax respect, and be fearful of their attack, its way better than anything we've faced this season, and we haven't exactly done well against weaker attacks so far this term!

I'd be happy with a draw given our current form, but we simply cannot afford to lose this match. If VDW is playing I'd play KPB of Flams out a bit wider to track his runs, and maybe pin him back. The choice between Pirlo/Dorf and Flams would boil down to fitness I'd say, with me probs just prefering Dorf out left a bit to provide some creativity lacking due to Dinho being out and Flams through the middle giving even more stability through the middle...

I'd set up somewhat like this...

...........................Abbiati

....Zam........Nesta............Silva........Anto

........................Gatt/Ambro

.....KPB...............Flams/Pirlo......Dorf/Flams

....................Robinho
...........................Zlatan

 

[Pedro]

Zambrotta should start as leftback. Suárez is the attacking threat, the others are just meh. Ajax' bottleneck is their leftback Anita. We should play with a rightwingerish player. That can be Robinho.

 

[milan1st]

Ibrahimovic Inzaghi
Seedorf
Flamini Boateng
Pirlo
Antonini Nesta Silva Zambrotta
Abbiati​

I would want

but we definetly will see something similar with today's line up, expect flamini will probably start for gattuso and one of pirlo/seedorf for cm spot.

 

[Susan]

Will be hard for us to have a match again, really a tough schedule we have now, our players will be tired so we have to be really careful.
Ibra is still not at his best and he is tired as he said himself, but we need him and he already scored two goals in the first CL game, so he has to start. Hope he feels better on Tuesday and if needed we can always sub him in second half to not exhaust him too much. Other players will be tired too, so Allegri needs to make the right decisions and sub players if they are too tired. It surely will be tough against Ajax and our defense needs to be careful because Suarez is a very good striker. If Allegri wants he can also bench Dinho, though I think he won't do it, but we can't play with Seedorf and Pirlo even if it's CL, only one of them to have a more balanced team on the pitch, we will need a DM in this match because Ajax is strong.

--------------Abbiati-------------
Zambro----Nesta----Thiago----Anto
-----Boateng--Pirlo/Seedorf---Rino/Flamini
----Robinho-----Ibra-----Dinho/Seedorf

If Dinho will be benchend and Seedorf plays instead of him then obviously Seedorf won't play LW, but behind the strikers. Also Pippo surely will play, though I don't think he will start, but he will get on in second half, maybe instead of Zlatan, who will need some rest.

 

[Pedro]

I would start Seedorf over Pirlo for this one. I hate playing both, and Seedorf + CL =

So Pirlo can have a little break.

 

[acm55]

Ajax-Milan 0-2
Auxerre-real madrid 1-1

 

[acmilan4ever]

Ajax-Milan 0-2
Auxerre-real madrid 1-1

Real Madrid will most defo rape Auxerre.

 

[milan1st]

NO. if they couldnt beat levante i see no reason they rape auxerre.

at most they can get a goal margin win.

btw i hope auxerre park the bus, otherwise they difficult can take a point from real.

 

[Esoteric]

Why do you want them to take a point of Real ? Better just smash Ajax and Auxerre and guarantee qualification for both of us. They will face Lyon in the next round anyway and get eliminated.

Anyway I hope our attack will be efficient because we might play very attacking football both of us so if we don't score good they might do that.

 

[milan1st]

you're right. the more important is milan to win vs ajax.

merda can do whatever they want with auxerre.. but i still want them to suffer vs them

 

[Vecchio Ultra]

I have a bad feeling about this game, I'm going to watch live also, that joke costs me 200 € and two days vacation lol, and each time I went to Holland watch Milan we lost, both times in Eindhoven vs PSV. What's worse I have a ticket for the home stands, so I will be surrounded with Ajax fans... I will wear no scarf of course or anything that could connect me to Milan, now I need to take tranquilizers with me to not jump if Ibra scores lol. Anyway I hope my feeling is wrong, but Ajax is very strong at home, and very fast, Lazio on crack... I would sign right now for a draw.

 

[milan1st]

If we win this one, quarter final is 99% guaranteed. *hope so*

we need at least 3 wins and a draw to go pass group stage.

6p from auxerr
3 from ajax
1 from real.

enough for us. but getting more is welcomed.

 

[Polotelli]

Normaly Ajax shouldn't be a problem, but we all know Milan better then that
Ajax have a strong team but not strong like Milan or Real Madrid
but Ajax is better then Auxerre I think, or not?

 

[Polotelli]

6p from auxerr
3 from ajax
1 from real.

1p from Real

i want 3home victories !!
and I really want to kick Mourinho ass in Madrid !!

 

[Rossonero81]

I'm really looking forward to this match. As a Dutch man I see Ajax play regularly. As I see it, Ajax have two top class players at this time: Suarez and Stekelenburg. V/d Wiel is a great prospect, but isn't a top class player yet.

Ajax rely on Suarez for 90% of their attacking game. He's the man that can create goals for himself and for others. He's a street fighting attacker that believes in every ball. His technique is often sloppy, but he will find his way through one way or another. He's a big threat if he's gets to play. Stekelenburg is a fantastic goalie, one we would be happy to have.

Ajax biggest problem is their midfield and their defence. The midfield is very static (much like ours, though they just don't have any talent) and they're are not really players that can create a lot of chances. That's why Ajax rely on long balls a lot (very unorthodox for Ajax) which come from either Verthongen or Alderwereld. In defence, the latter two are both often shaky against good CF's. The left back is right footed midfielder which is no good at that position. Robinho will get lots of space there.

I would like to see Seedorf play this match, because Ajax was his first club and he'll probably never play there again. I'd play him instead of Pirlo anyway, who is completely out of form and has been for a long time now. A midfield with Prince, Gatusso/Flamini and Seedorf will cut it against Ajax.

I expect a win wednesday. Nothing less. I hope both Seedorf and Ibra will shine against their old club. !FORZA MILAN!

 

[Raghav]

I want Milan and Madrid to win our 4 other games. Both qualify and whoever is better head to head tops group.

Much better scenario than them losing tomorrow then getting better of us then us travelling to Auxerre NEEDING a result.

 

[bliz]

this will be my first Milan match, can't wait.

 

[dev1L]

this is ibrahimovic vs his old team, heh...don't know about ajax, they were shit against madrid and without suarez..

 

[fredrik9]

-------------------abbiati--------------------
ibra-------nesta-------silva--------ibra
-------------------ibra-------------------
-----------boateng--------ibra---------------
----pato------ibra----------ibra---

I'f Pato's not fit, then, ahhh... Ibra on his postition.

Simple as that. Ajax-Milan 0-3