Friendly- August 3 - AC Milan vs Chelsea [R]

[Bruckner283]

Unlike us, Milan will not be competing in this season's Champions League, after finishing fifth behind Inter, Roma, Juventus and Fiorentina, meaning they will go into the Uefa Cup.

From the clubs website. Twisting that knife a little more?

No clue who the home-side is so I apologize if I got the order wrong.

[Bruckner283]

TEAM NEWS: CHELSEA V AC MILAN
Posted on: Sun 03 Aug 2008

Michael Ballack will play his first football of the pre-season as he is named in the starting line-up for today's Russian Railways Cup match.

Also starting the third/fourth place play-off is former Lokomotiv Moscow player Branislav Ivanovic, back on familiar turf.

Alex is also given a start, as is Florent Malouda on the left of a front three.

AC Milan name an unfamiliar line-up. Kaka is unavailable so with a lack of strikers, midfielders Massimo Ambrosini and Andrea Pirlo are named upfront. Gianluca Zambrotta, back from his time is Spain, will play on the right of midfield.

Chelsea will line-up in a 4-3-3 formation as follows:

1 Petr Cech
2 Branislav Ivanovic
33 Alex
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
13 Michael Ballack
12 John Mikel Obi
8 Frank Lampard
24 Shaun Wright-Phillips
39 Nicolas Anelka
15 Florent Malouda

Subs: 23 Carlo Cudicini, 40 Hilario, 19 Paulo Ferreira, 6 Ricardo Carvalho, 18 Wayne Bridge, 20 Deco, 10 Joe Cole, 17 Scott Sinclair, 36 Franco Di Santo, 7 Andriy Shevchenko.

Milan are expected to line up in the following 4-4-2 formation:

Kalac
Bonera
Simic
Maldini
Favalli
Zambrotta
Flamini
Gattuso
Jankulovski
Pirlo
Ambrosini


Subs: Abbiati, Kaladze, Digao. Seedorf, Paloschi, Antonini.

The referee is Yuri Baskakov.

[Bruckner283]

They have to field two midfielders upfront and they wont take back Sheva?!?!?! Wait.....that makes sense. Nevermind.

[Chelsea8-0Manu]

How long until the match starts?

[Bruckner283]

How long until the match starts?

Couple minutes.

[Bruckner283]

1-0 Lampard.

[Bruckner283]

Le Sulk = 2-0

[Dr_Intoxicated]

3-0 Anelka again.

we are looking good, but it is difficult to gauge what this means against an AC Milan that is distinctly not first team. Still you can only play against what is in front of you.

[Bruckner283]

Kalac with a HOWLER!!!!!!!!

Le Sulk = 3-0

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Ivanovic down the wing and puts in a good cross to Anelka, almost a hat trick. On paper Milan look weak up front, but their defense is appalling.

[Dr_Intoxicated]

However their defense is still too good for Malouda.

[srd....]

i know the milan side out today are'nt the best,however our passing is looking sharp.

[Bruckner283]

Di Santo being hazed with the dreaded Ear-Flicking.

[Dr_Intoxicated]

That is the 2nd cross that Cech has missed, Alex has not looked that comfortable either.

[Yaroni]

Link Pleaseeeeeee

[Bruckner283]

The backline needs to tighten up. Ballack has been literally invisible as not even the camera has seen him. SWP & Malouda have shown more effort than skill but not necessarily terrible. Le Sulk is already trading his jersey so I would assume Sheva is coming on.

Edit:
Impressed thus far with Ivanovic. Gets forward better than Paulo and can actually cross a ball.

[Dr_Intoxicated]

How is it that mini man swp gets on the end of so many crosses? Full marks to him for getting into position but it is frustrating to see a good cross, a player in position but 0.1% of winning the ball.

[Bruckner283]

Link Pleaseeeeeee

Sopcast 6099 is working great for me. In English as well.

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Link Pleaseeeeeee

Sorry I am watching on Chelsea TV

[Yaroni]

Sopcast 6099 is working great for me. In English as well.

thanx but for some reason its in chinese and its only showing highlihgts


I-Cable Soccer