Round: 2nd Venue: Wankdorf Stadium, Bern Rules: 90 minutes, followed if necessary by extra-time (original rules with multiple goals possible in 30 minutes) and then if the scores are still tied a penalty shoot-out * Note - If you think the game will go to extra-time please choose that option (at the bottom end of the poll) and then you can say what you would choose for the score at full-time in normal time/90 minutes in the thread, as well as give details of how you'd see extra-time going Line-ups: (diagrams in following posts) Bayern Munich 12-13 - Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Jerome Boateng, Dante, David Alaba; Bastien Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez; Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery; Mario Mandzukic. AC Milan 89-90 - Giovanni Galli; Mauro Tassotti, Alessandro Costacurta, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini; Roberto Donadoni, Frank Rijkaard, Carlo Ancelotti, Alberigo Evani; Marco van Basten, Daniele Massaro. Voting deadline - 10th May 2015 (1 week from now) Main thread: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/1989-2014-fantasy-world-club-cup.2012816/page-22 Feel free to discuss the match and how you think it would play out, and then after you vote for a scoreline feel free to provide reasoning. If considering substitutions, please check the players were at the club in the relevant season and then you are free to consider 3 substitutions selected from the whole squad for each team, in the scenario you envisage
I think the difference in form will be a major factor in this match up. IMO this Milan was in good form (and could have won a treble themselves if things had gone differently) but showed some glaring weaknesses in games outside the San Siro. Examples being the away losses to Bayern and Madrid in the CL or to Juventus and Napoli in the Serie A or more notably to those teams which would be relegated like Ascoli, Cremonese and Verona. The treble winning Bayern team however was simply playing out of their skins both home and away (apart from the defeat at home to Arsenal in the CL), during the period that they are being matched up for. Thus I'd go for an upset(if one would call it that) 3-1 in favour of Bayern (a game of similar fashion to how the German trio led Inter beat Milan while playing as the away team at the San Siro that season). To be fair I think it could also go the opposite way (similar to how the other match between Inter and Milan ended that season with Milan winning 0-3), but due to the respective teams' overall form and Milan's weakness outside the San Siro, I think there is a higher probability of the game ending Bayern's way and thus my vote.
Thanks for the input again Estel. I have indeed gone exactly the opposite way (scoreline the same but in favour of the other team) on this one. Despite having no Gullit, I'm seeing the potential for the Milan attack still to be fluent/adept enough in possession and I'd say certainly with the other Dutchman Van Basten leading the attack I favour that attack to have more success vs Bayern's defence than Bayern's attack has vs Milan's defence. That's a bit simplistic so I'll add another post for this one too sometime, but I'm going for a classic AC Milan performance to get them through even if I agree it could easily go either way.
To finish off my thoughts and reasoning: - It'd be interesting to see how effective Bayern were on the counter-attack. I think they could be dangerous with Robben in particular, surging down the wing but also coming infield. They can transition play well when a Milan move breaks down. But I think Milan, even if they had some losses that season and are without Gullit who missed most of it, were still generally within a peak period and hadn't hit a downturn in confidence/cohesion as much as the Barcelona team which Bayern had so much success against in 2013. And I think Ancelotti and particularly Rijkaard would do plenty of ball retrieving and blocking around halfway and more towards their own goal, even if Milan would be looking to press high up the pitch too. - I think Schweinsteiger can have some influence in midfield in helping Bayern tick and prompting some good moves. Milan, playing a 4-4-2 might arguably be vulnerable to Bayern getting a grip of midfield, but I don't think this should be too much of a factor due to Rijkaard and also the familiar and cohesive gameplay and passing of Milan. Ribery, without Maldini to contend with, might be a factor too but Donadoni can have his own influence at the other end and it might be more fruitful in terms of what it leads to I'm thinking. So that's a few more thoughts, but I am going with the key being Milan's attack prospering more vs Bayern's defence than vice versa. Baresi and co might have an odd moment of panic but I don't feel they're very likely to be over-run or breached too often.