Arsenal can outrun Milan over 90 minutes.
Knowing that, Milan will play cautiously and the game could be a big yawn.
But tonight doesn\’t matter that much. Arsenal are not good enough to win the Champions League or get to the final.
Milan are not good enough to win it either.
Both would get thrashed by Real Madrid or Barcelona.
So tonight’s fixture falls neatly into the category I call :Quite Interesting.
Is Thiago Silva the best defender in Europe? If so, will he shut down Robin van Persie?
Is Mexes over-rated? Will Nesta be risked after recovering from injury?
I like coach Allegri and the Egyptian kid.
Allegri shouts tactically during games and El Sharaawi, the little striker, is sparky, agile, keen, played Seedorf in with a nice pass against Lazio the other week.
Seedorf is the Duke Ellington of Italian football, ageing gracefully, always dignified, still composing. Last time I looked Seedorf had scored 58 goals in 389 games in Serie A.
Seniority and experience are revered in Italy, of course, and big bruiser Mark Van Bommel could be back to boss the game. A good Arsenal team would play round MVB all night long, but let’s see how Ramsey, Song and Arteta do.
One thing I notice is that Italian clubs constantly buy strikers from each other. They value goalscoring know-how and like a couple on names on the bench, even if they haven’t scored for six months.
Wenger doesn\’t employ strikers because they cost too much and might dictate the style of play.
Watching Milan on ESPN this season, Robinho still can’t hit a barn door.
When I watched him at Real Madrid he was a lively kid whose finishing was weak. It’s still weak.
Does Zlatan Ibrahimovic care enough?
Great players care in every game, like Messi and Alexis Sanchez in Leverkusen last night.
Ibra is a monster talent, a powerful giant with uncanny skills, but he doesn’t do it often enough because he doesn’t care enough.
Tonight, who knows? Koscielny has been immense this season and might make Ibra invisible. Big night for Szczesny, a confident character who still has a lot to learn. I don’t think the gobby Pole will have a lot to do.
Another new Milan player I don’t know much about is Nocerino. Bearded, busy, a decent passer, Nocerino gets in the box and scores a few goals.
Is he any good? We ‘ll see tonight.
We’re told Pato, Nesta and Kevin Prince Boateng may not be fit enough to start the match. Boateng is an intersting case study. How can a guy play OK for Portsmouth and then go to Milan and play very well and score some brilliant goals? I don’t know his story but I’d love somebody to explain that to me.
BOTTOM LINE : I reckon these two games will be tight. Both games should be very close. I reckon Milan are vulnerable to an early goal. If Arsenal get a quick chance and take it, they’ll be in charge. Maybe.
As an R16 tie, it feels like the kind of encounter where one game is a draw and the other is a one-goal win.
Since Mertesacker came into the Arsenal back four, the defence has stabilised. Having him out for the rest of the season will have a negative impact.
Still, I don’t hate ITV, like some of my mates do. I’m ready for a half-decent game. Milan v Arsenal will tell me something I don’t know and that’s always good.
Bottom line: Neither team is good enough to win the cup with big ears.
I had a day off writing on Tuesday and feel much fresher. My brain calms down and works better.
Pilates in the morning, Picasso in the afternoon, knackered in the evening, revived by the fiery Alexis.
We came out of Tate Britain about 4.15 pm and walked down Millbank and by then it was chilly.
Jan : “Do your jacket up. You don’t want to get a chesty cough.”
Myles : “Chestikov is a Russian art dealer. Sergei Chestikov walks down this road most afternoons.”