Kaka and Shevchenko are big mates, and when Sheva was sold for £30 million, he was impossible to replace.
So Kaka often played in the Ukrainian’s role.
He was used as a second striker, rather than an attacking midfielder, making lighting breaks from centrefield.
When a really gifted player can accelerate into the box and score, or fire thunderbolts into the top corner from 25 yards, you are tempted to use him as a second striker, especially away from home.You don’t want to waste his energy on donkey-work because you need his skills and his finishing
Milan like to lock up midfield with Ambrosini, Seedorf, Pirlo and Gattuso, who can pass to each other blindfolded. So most of their games are low-scoring games.
In Serie A, Milan have become a 1-0 type of team. They are minimalists who keep it tight and nick a goal. They don’t expend huge amounts of energy to thrash opponents but they have plenty of matchwinners : Inzaghi, Seedorf, Gilardino, Pato and Kaka can all score the goal that wins the game.
But I agree with Fabio Capello. They will find it tough against Arsenal, who pass it quick and slick, who vary it through Hleb, who have a big, fast centre forward who is more of a beast than anybody they face in Serie A.
Will Adebayor rampage through Milan? Will he cause havoc against Nesta? Or will they take the ball off him neatly? If Adebayor has a good night, Arsenal will have a good night.
Tonight will be, among other things, a game of free-kicks and Milan are better at free-kicks than Arsenal.
As the senior citizens of the Champions League, with an average age of 32, they take a bit of flak. A rebuilding job looks likely and a new coach will be hired to do that job, or so insiders say.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti will mark Fabregas, and Wenger will mark Pirlo. If they don’t mark Pirlo, Arsenal could get killed against a team of super-shrewd operators who can knock the ball around. Even the belligerent Gattuso has lots of skill.
Expect Arsenal to play a hustling, pressing game, using their attacking full backs to the maximum.
Milan have the accumulated knowledge that comes from decades of playing big games, while Arsenal have the speed and spirit that has kept them top of the Premier League all season.
Milan have more expertise, more authority, Arsenal more pace and energy. If football is a game of running, Arsenal will win over two legs. If it’s a game of positional discipline, an exercise in tactical control, Milan will prevail.
It’s surprising that the two clubs have never met until now. The timing is good for Arsene Wenger in his 100th Champions League game as Arsenal boss : a home game against the holders? What could be a bigger opportunity than that?
AC Milan is a long-established luxury brand, a Rolls Royce of football, while Arsenal is like a sporty BMW. A global brand owned by Silvio Berlusconi, the former crooner, Milan are handsome,stylish and rich, like Maldini and Kaka.
Arsenal, alone among England’s big four, is English-owned and has so far been unable to bring the European Cup to London. No London club has ever won the European Cup. Chelsea got to three semi-finals and couldn’t win it. The best-ever Spurs team couldn’t win it in the Sixties.
My advice to Arsenal would be : don’t be dazzled by the brand or the star names. Milan are nervous too. They are the European champions, so have more to lose.
Wenger’s team have terrific skills, bionic energy and tremendous esprit de corps. Today they will train together and travel together and get changed together and stand in a line waiting to go out as the floodlights blaze down on the green, green grass of a perfect home pitch, and as they run out they will hear the crowd roar and applaud. They might look over and see Kaka, Seedorf, Nesta, Maldini, Pippo Inzaghi, the goal thief of Meelan. They know it’s big night against a classy team they’ve never played before. It’s a big test for every player and one they will relish. These are the nights they live for. And these are the nights they’ll remember when they’re 65.
Remember, it’s only the first leg. Both teams will expect a very, very tight game.
Also remember : Celtic beat Milan 2-1 in the group stage.