AC MILAN 3 Manchester United 0
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Kaka 11, Seedorf 30, Gilardino 78
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The collective artistry of Milan made Man United look clumsy and stupid.
The home team started in a high gear, Kaka was breathtaking, and Seedorf’s bullet shot flew through the monsoon after three minutes to be tipped over by a thankful Edwin van der Sar.
Seedorf was just so economical in his passing and running, Every step meant something, every pass meant something. And Gattuso, the pocket battleship, was pinching balls off Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, showboating after 20 seconds, tried a flick that failed to find a United player. If it had, he might have had a better night.But he lost the ball and the crowd jeered and the game went away from him.
Kaka raced onto a smart back-header by Seedorf and smacked a left-foot shot low into the bottom corner for 1-0 and then an idiotic square ball by left back Heinze to Vidic, who has been out for months with a broken collarbone, put the defender in trouble, and when Seedorf eventually got the ball he was able to hold off Fletcher, ride a mistimed tackle by Vidic, and rifle the ball home for 2-0.
At that stage it looked as if Giggs was too old, Rooney and Ronaldo too young.
Milan had far superior teamwork, and a much more solid shape that United found it impossible to penetrate, or even threaten to penetrate. When United had the ball, Milan read them like an open book. And when Milan had the ball they moved it around with practiced ease and made the visitors look dim and clueless.The Red Devils looked like Red Muppets. While United had no leader, Milan had leaders everywhere.
Really, one team was a sophisticated football machine while the other was a mistakes machine, churning out sloppy balls like a conveyor belt. Milan played 4-4-1-1 and had United outnumbered in midfield. The fluency of their teamwork comes from years of playing together. They were able to slow the game down, then change gears to break at pace. It was men and boys and at certain moments I was thinking that Kaka is the finest white footballer since Di Stefano
Early in the second half, when United had a half-decent spell, they needed a goal but never looked composed enough to score one.
When a Wes Brown blunder gave the ball to Ambrosini on the left he released Gilardino into acres of space and the sub took two touches and swept the ball past the advancing keeper for 3-0
Sir Alex needs Owen Hargreaves in midfield and a centre forward like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, so that he can play Rooney in a Bergkamp role, feeding the wings, bursting through on his own, and playing one-twos with his striker.
I was naive enough to think that United would be able to pass the ball to each other and score a goal or two and at least draw this game.
But Milan never allowed them to play as they do in the Premiership, which is knockabout stuff compared to this level. Indeed, in a tight European game like this, Manchester United might not be the best or second best or third best team in their own league. Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal would all have done better in the San Siro than United did tonight.
AC Milan v Liverpool will be a game.
This wasn’t a game but it was a masterclass.
Of course, an amazing perforamnce is not always an amazing team.You can only play as well as you are allowed to play, and Milan were allowed to do what they liked.
Rafa Benitez will want his team to become European Champions again, not least to prove to a top striker that he should sign for Liverpool this summer.
After Istanbul, where Milan lost after being 3-0 up at half -time, Maldini, Nesta and Ambrosini went on holiday in Florida together with their families. In football there is always another game and the only time that doesn’t apply is after the European Cup Final. The Italians sat round the pool talking about how they had lost, never dreaming that they would meet Liverpool in another final two years later.