AC Milan 2-1 Udinese

A typical Italian drama. There were penalties,freekicks,feigning injuries and the presence of a superstar, Super Mario.

Straight from the opening we knew this wouldn't be a normal match, Abbiati withdrawn for Amelia as of his flu while Pazzini pulled up sore leaving Mario took make his offical debut. And what a start he had, nearly scoring in  the first 35 seconds after rounding one defender and shooting through the legs of another.

Through the supreme dominance of Milan's opening of their swift attacks, Udinese was forced to swap from a 3 man backline to a 4 man.  Milan were dominat  in the first half , keeping Udinese pinned back and passing all over the pitch. Abate & Niang partnership was paying diviends, while the latter kept tracking back excellently to help out with the defence. El Shaarawy may not have made as such as an impact as Niang had, but everytime he got the ball, he set up a  cruical attack such as how he tightly squeezed a cross in which to Mario whom stood back unlike the defenders travelling, was able to then snap it into the back of the net.

Luckily for them, Udinese were still in the game at the second half and brought the match to Milan. Manhandling their players and subduing the influence of Montilvo & forcing Nocerino to defend for his life. The Zebretta caught Milan on the counter attack where Di Natalie beat Bonera in a header and found Constant out of position allowing Pinzi to slide in amongst acres of space and finish it past Amelia . The game then turned into a 50-50 contest with both sides going for the jugular and poor Niang was unfortunate to miss after smashing the ball into the crossbar on the 75th minute.
 With the game all but finished after some fierce attacking moves, Thomas Heurtaux illegally twin footed tackled El Shaarawy  which lead to the penalty. With no more time left, all eyes on him, in his debutant,  Super Mario lined up and scored the winning penalty!

NOTES
*Udinese were very clever and waited for the right moments to strike. And they would have won with better decision-making from Basta and Muriel couple of times.
*Bojan was terribly disapointing and wasteful, was unable to deliver a proper pass or shot and even failed to capaltise on great balls presented to him. Balotelli with experience will learn what a player Bojan is and he will then resist to pass to him

* Milan's attacking trio will need some more time to gel, but it has certainly the potential to rule Italy at the least.

Milans Best Votes
3.  Mario Balotelli : Superb, best player on the pitch, all eyes were on him tonight and did not disapoint, scored a brilliant double tonight.
2. Riccardo Montolivo : Tracked back , set up plays all over the pitch, even ripped through with a few shots. Could ask no more of the talent midfielder, future captain.
1.L.Niang :  Lively forward was attacking from the opening play. Kept trying to make something out of nothing, brilliantly teamed well with Super Mario, harshly done by not to leave with at least an assist or goal.

Next Game:
Juventus v Fiorentina
Lazio v Napoli
Cagliari v AC Milan

Here we come 3rd place

AC Milan vs Udinese Preview

AC Milan vs Udinese Preview February 3, 2013 7:45 PM UTC

 

Now that Milan are on a roll after their midseason slump they have begun storming their way up the ladder. Now currently sitting fifth, they must keep up the pressure on Inter & Lazio at 4th & 3rd place respectively but also respect the threat that is Udinese, who are only 4 points behind the Rosseneri .

This match will be the League Debut of Super Mario! After so long of waiting we can finally see the main in action. Whether or not he scores is a different story, he is sure to make an incredible impact just being on the pitch.

I think it's safe to say Balotelli will start on the bench and will come on when Pazzini tires out, though it will be interesting to see whether he steps up and scores a goal with his position now under threat.
Abbiati has questions marks of his head this game as he has not been training all week due to having the flu, I would like to see him make the first 11 but Amelia is a strong keeper in his own respect and a good back up.
Bonera is starting in his first Udinese game in a while and in their last match two years ago , in an epic 4-4 draw he was directly at fault for 3 goals,  I would be interested to see how he copes with the Udinese offence this time.
Didac Vila, Philippe Mexes, Mattia De Sciglio, and of course Nigel De Jong are unavailable due to injuries and fitness problems.
Udinese welcome back Mehdi Benatia from AFCON duty, with the defender set to go straight into the starting XI, while Luis Muriel should partner Antonio Di Natale upfront.
The Zebrette have been inconsistent this term and sit in ninth place ahead of Sunday's trip to San Siro.
 The Rosseneri have won 6 of their last 7 games at the San Siro.



Line Ups
               Abbiati                                                                             Padelli

Abate, Bonera, Zapata, Constant                             Benatia, Danilo, Domizzi, Pasquale                                        

Flamini, Montolivo, Boateng                                          Basta, Pinzi, Allan, Lazzari
Niang, Pazzini, El Shaarawy                                                          Muriel
                                                                                                       Di Natale

People all over the world will be eagerly watching this game, to see the return of Super Mario to Italian Football. I expect AC Milan to ride that wave of and win comfortably 2-0. Would be great to see Super Mario score in his debut!

It's Not All About Super Mario!

Yeah , yeah , yeah we know, Super Mario has now joined us, the proudest  and most powerful club in Italy. At the tender age of 22 he is already a superstar and arguably one of the world’s best players. Proof of his explosive power and undeniable talent is the demolition of the German’s in the Euro 2012. He lead Italy’s attack.  Even though he is arguably one of the undisputed stikers in Italy, AC Milan have been busily creating a potentially lethal line up in the future, one that could help them become the premier team not only in Italy but of Europe and then the world.

M'Baye Babacar Niang  (18)
Perhaps the player that has surprised me the most. He rose through the French Youth International teams and the quick footed boy, helped contribute to Caen , playing 30 matches 5 goals and a handful of impressive assists.

When he first signed for Milan I had never heard of him and dismissed him straight away. What could he offer Milan after the impressive King Ibra’s service who sadly departed us. How was I wrong. Recently his burst into Milan’s team offering a blistering pace and smart passes.  His been very impressive and though admittedly he does disappear here and again his energetic displays bodes well for the future. I was absolutely delighted with his assist to El Shaarawy against Atlanata, splitting through their defence. He is the  second youngest goal scorer in Milan history at 17 years and 350 days.

Mattia De Sciglio (20)
This young man’s rise has been arguably the biggest of the team.He rose through Milan’s youth acedmy for 9 seasons and has now taken dismantled Abates hold on RB and made it his own at the tender age of 20. He is a fast player with good technique and has already excelled in a few matches as a CB as well.He is already a better crosser,tackler than any of our current RBs.

The way he is developing I will be disappointed if he leaves, he could easily become Italy’s best RB in years. His 20 strong performances this season have impressed all those who’ve watched him and he has delighted by fans and pundits alike.
Costacurta: "I have never seen a player develop as fast as De Sciglio has."
Alberigo Evani "a fast runner, with good technique" and "a versatile footballer"

Stephan El Shaarawy (20)
In 2011-2012 season El Shaarawy gained experience when rotated off the bench into the first team. He showed potential but nothing told us of what was to come. Thanks to his goalscoring exploits, The Guardian listed him 52^nd in  The 100 best footballers in the world.  This is more than justified by his incredible standings in the goalscoring charts, he is second on 15 goals, in his first full season with AC Milan  at just 20 years of age!

His ability to shoot out past the defence and find space combined with his brilliant dribbling him a nightmare for even the toughest defenders. It is only recently that they have begun “parking the bus” have they even impacted his style of play at all.  His shot range is powerful and his shown this off through shooting outside the box!
Now that him and Super Mario are together, it’s only a matter of time before they dominate Italy together, then the world!

Bartosz Salamon (21)
Perhaps their most unique acquisition . The Pole, is not like many players, originally played AM he was then swapped to DM only to find himself then dominate at CB.  He has most over 60 appearances for Brescia and has proven himself to be a top player. Able to set up attacks from afar, deep in defence, his great range of passing reminds me of Pirlo. He could only be more useful set up as the Anchor. His brilliant at reading the play whilst ever steadily improving at set pieces.

He is definitely one for the future, able to rotate through midfield  and CB, he could play a pivotal role for the Rosseneri which will help them in the long season runs for the title. Granted though, this may take time since his only played in Serie B, that’s why buying him this Summer was a good investment as it allows him time to come through the team and pick up valuable experience and adapt to the level of play.



Riccardo Saponara (21)

A superb run of performances for Empoli in Serie B over the past year, 72 times for Empoli since 2009-2010 and this season has 18 Games,8 goals 7 assists, has certainly help lead him to being snapped up by AC Milan in recent times. However he will stay at the Carlo Castellani until the summer before making his dream move to San Siro, where he hopes to emulate his Brazilian hero Kaka.

With great poise, balance, superb timing of a run and a cool eye for a pass, Saponara has been the star man in 2012-13 for an Empoli side transformed from relegation candidates to play-off contenders, and has scored eight league goals on the way. His great skill on the ball has also helped him to catch the eye of the team he has dreamt of representing for so long. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the AC Milan line up, maybe in the 4-3-3 line up he may have to move back to the midfield.

Mario Balotelli Revelation

Mario Balotelli  Revelation

The move that everyone knew would happen as finally come into completion!
Super Mario has found his way back  home to the peninsula .  This time he will represent the red & black half of Milan, his boyhood team.

This move is sorely needed for Italian Football and Milan.  Attendances are  falling and we’ve lost the prestige that the club used to command all over there world.  Bringing back a beloved son of Italian Football will bring fans back to the stadiums, ensure our merchandise fly’s off the shelf as soon it came & appeases both Sponsors & fans alike. This move brings back hope to Milan.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget amongst all the headlines that Mario is still only a boy. At the tender age of 22 his become the focal point of the Italian offence and now will be expected to lead a mighty club back to it’s pinnacle of success. I plead for Milan supporters not to expect to much from him too soon. Despite his obvious talent , this move is one for the future.

Super Mario is going to jump right into this strikeforce as Milan fast tracks their offences development. His talent is undeniable, his explosive pace & power. His ability to create something out of nothing brings another dynamic to the Rossoneri’s  attack.
Let this stew on you next time you watch AC Milan play.
M'Baye Niang , 18 yrs
Mario Balotelli , 22 yrs
Stephan El Shaarawy , 20 yrs

Your are truly watching the future of Italian Football.

Elsewhere in Italy
- Anelka has moved to Juventus as they continue to seek a solution for their firepower
-Zdravko Kuzmanovic , Stuttgart midfielder is finalising his move to Inter
- Urby Emanuelson to join Fulham on loan

AC Milan 2-2 Catania

The Rossoneri had big injury problems as Beckham, Onyewu, Nesta, Bonera, Pato, and Jankulovski were out. Leonardo unleashed an attacking 4-2-1-3, though, with Ronaldinho, Marco Borriello and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in attack just as I had predicted.

Catania raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half through Maxi Lopez and Adrian Ricchiuti which lead to my heart attack! Only for thankfully, Borri to score a great double and salvage Milan's pride.

Milan played a very poor first half and only through Silva,Ronaldinho,Inzaghi & Borriellos combined great efforts were they able to get anything from the match.



Player Ratings
Dida: Played really well but didn't have to make any real noteworthy saves, both goals he was NOT at fault with. 6
Abate: Was very impressive workhorse who ran all day and helped provided the cross for Borriello.Is rapidly improving with everygame. 7.5
Thiago Silva: Very average game for him this afternoon and at times looked like he was sleeping. At fault for one goal. 5.3
Favalli: Struggled against the pace and movement of the oppositions forward partnership and has big question marks on his ability to still compete at the highest level . 4.7
Antonini: Poor day from Luca as he was caught out of defence one to many times. Also led to some stray passes. Redeemded himself in the second half with a few key tackles and good movement. 5
Pirlo: Some very nice passes today but to few tackles and not much of an influence on the tempo of the game today.Needs to improve if he wants World Cup spot. 6
Seedorf: As usual, only a good super impact sub or can only play one good first half of football before disapearing like so many of his teammates today. Gets a 6.2 only because of his impact in the first half.
Huntelaar: He played today? He barley touched the ball! 3.5
Borriello: Loves to bully little teams and was back against Catania!Borriello exploded after the break with two excellent finishes. Was a real handful in the second 45. 8.3
Ronaldinho: Got no protection from the referee today, but still did all he could to create for Milan. Finished impressively. 7.5
Substitutes:
Flamini: Helped win the midfield after his introduction. 7.3
Inzaghi: Involved in second goal and a real handful. 7.2
Mancini: Contributed little. 5.1

Azzmilan

Leonardo To Leave Milan - Report + Catania Match Up

Leonardo To Leave Milan - Report
Milan and Leonardo are on course to split at the end of the season because the coach cannot take Silvio Berlusconi's pressure, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

Berlusconi has expressed his displeasure with the way Milan have struggled to match Inter this season, and often the buck has stopped with Leonardo.

Berlusconi has also accused the Brazilian of dragging his feet, something that has led him to reconsider his future.

"If only those in charge of the team allowed it to play..." the Italian supremo said back in February.

However, on Friday Adriano Galliani rejected previous reports claiming his coach would quit the Rossoneri for Brazil.

"Leonardo is staying here," the Italian told the press.

I honestly believe this is disgraceful and a spit in the face to all Leonardo has done with a deplorable Milan squad this season. His has exceeded my execations and has got the full support from myself.



Also regarding tonights game with Catania I believe we will win 2-0 as we are currently on a roll. We are fighting to keep our title hopes alive while Catania are just middle table club but are not to be underestimated. A great side on their day.

Alexandre Pato, Amantino Mancini, David Beckham, Alessandro Nesta and Oguchi Onyewu are all unavailable, but Mathieu Flamini returns from suspension.
Here is the available squad:

Goalkeepers: Abbiati, Dida, Roma

Defenders: Abate, Bonera, Thiago Silva, Favalli, Jankulovski, Oddo, Zambrotta, Antonini, Kaladze.

Midfielders: Ambrosini, Seedorf, Gattuso, Pirlo, Flamini.

Strikers: Inzaghi, Huntelaar, Adiyah, Zigoni, Borriello, Ronaldinho.

I think it will be ;
Dida
Abate Silva Favalli Antonini

Ambrosini Flamini
Seedorf

Huntelaar Borri Dinho


Azzmilan