Jens Lehmann played for AC Milan.
Nobody has mentioned that.
Lehmann joined Milan in 1998 from Schalke, played five games, got dropped, and was sold to Dortmund after one season. It’s extraordinary that he now faces the club where he failed ten years ago.
Does Lehmann have a point to prove? Just a little bit ! Will he have a lot to do tonight? No.The whole game will be down the other end.
Having said that, Milan are stunning from distance. Seedorf, Pirlo and Kaka can all score from 25 yards.
Age doesn’t count at set-pieces and Arsenal don’t build the best walls, so free-kicks and corners are always a big worry.
Will Gilardino start up front? Probably. A useful striker but no better than Gallas and Toure face every week.
Still, I’m expecting Arsenal to win by running the legs off the Italians and I reckon Nesta is a bit over the hill. I’ve felt that for quite a while. His partner Kaladze is solid but lacks pace.
If keeper Zeljko Kalac plays with a damaged finger he disclocated on Sunday, he may not be able to catch or punch properly. If third-choice Valerio Fiori plays , it will be the veteran’s first game since 2002. Either way, Milan will defend deeper than they normally would, to protect their goalkeeper.
So the visitors will play for a 0-0 and hope to have to two attacks and score one goal.
Ancelotti is right to say Milan can lose tonight and still go through. But if it’s 0-0, Arsenal can get a 1-1 in the San Siro.
My firm belief that these first legs are invariably cagey, low-scoring events was borne out by last night’s four games.
Olympiacos-Chelsea was 0-0, Roma came back to beat Real Madrid 2-1, Schalke beat Porto 1-0.
The Liverpool-Inter game was 0-0 for 85 minutes, even after Materazzi was sent off after half an hour.
Lyon have to go for it tonight, so their game against Man United might be the most open of the eight games.
Main interest there is in Karim Benzema, who is Stan Collymore with bottle. President Aulas says the 19-year old centre forward is going nowhere till Lyon win the Champions League, and when he is sold it will be for a world record fee.
Can this new wonderboy deliver against Rio Ferdinand and Vidic?
I wouldn’t think so but you never know in this game. That’s what this competition is all about. It allows us to see these young stars and to compare teams from different leagues.
Will Barcelona fancy it on a cold night at Parkhead? Celtic have done well to get this far, one feels