Milan Preview: The Key Midfield Battles
3 comments February 20th, 2008
According to Cesc, in tonight’s game “the key will be in midfield”. With that in mind, I’ve had a go at comparing the men in the middle for Arsenal and Milan, and just how their performances could impact upon tonight’s moutwatering tie…
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Kaka vs. Hleb
The comparison between these two is perhaps surprising. But both are two-footed playmakers who perform best playing just off a traditional centre-forward. Both are have excellent dribbling and passing skills, combined with a surprising degree of physical prowess.
But there is a gulf between the two. Kaka is lauded as one of the world’s great players, whilst the elder Hleb is more of a connoisseur’s favourite. It is the very same qualities that make Hleb such a purist’s choice that have prevented him from reaching the greatest heights: he is so obsessed with achieving the most beautiful goal, the most preposterous pass, or the most improbable dribble that he can prove frustrating. Kaka, meanwhile, marries Brazilian flair with European efficiency. Oh, and unlike our Belarussian friend, the thought of having a shot on goal doesn’t make him come over all queasy.
If we’re to succeed tonight, we’ll need Hleb to be at his imperious best, and Kaka to be at his marginally less breathtaking worst.
Fabregas vs. Pirlo
Many pundits will lazily compare Fabregas with Kaka, rather than the Italian. It’s easy to see why – they’re both young, handsome, and the stars of their respective sides. But Cesc’s playing style is actually far closer to that master exponent of deep-lying playmaking: Andrea Pirlo.
Whilst Kaka takes the headlines, Pirlo pulls the string from his holding position. Not only does he dictate the tempo of the Milanese orchestra, but he is also a set piece specialist, able to find the top corner from almost anywhere in the opponent’s half.
Whether it is he or Cesc who is able to control the flow of this match could be dependent on the victor of the final battle in this tantalising trio…
Gattuso vs. Flamini
You know in those old Batman TV shows, when there was a fight you’d get those sound effects like “Kapow!!!”, “Boff!!!”, and “Whamm!!!”? Well, I imagine that similar sounds will be reverberating around the centre-circle tonight, as two of the games more fiery characters finally come head-to-head.
Everything about this screams ‘Coming of Age’ for Mathieu Flamini. His tough tackling and high-energy style saw him nicknamed “Gattuso” by his team-mates this Summer – now he has a chance to outshine the original and more senior of the pair. With the nature of Flamini’s equally combative and competent performances this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did just that.
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Of course, Milan have a host of other threatening players – Seedorf and Alexandre Pato arguably the pick amongst them. There will be equally enthralling clashes all over the pitch: how will Milan’s ageing backline cope with a rampant Emmanuel Adebayor? And which of the two veteran goalkeepers likely to be on display will prove the biggest liability? Only joking, Jens…
Victory tonight would be a huge boost and a tremendous honour. Furthermore, it would give us a great chance of progression in what is a massive competition. But somehow I can’t help but shake the feeling that the story of 2007/08 is destined to be our Premier League campaign. The Champions League certainly takes priority over the domestic cups, but my instinct tells me that both the players and Arsene are so focused on our league challenge that European success would remain the most glamorous of bonuses.
Which is why I feel fairly relaxed this morning. We are yet again the underdog, especially after taking such a hiding at the weekend. If we lose, we can turn our full attentions to the fascinating title race. But if we win, not only can we continue to challenge on two major fronts, but the lift we might get from such a significant victory could fuel our domestic challenge to boot.
We are more than capable. Our young bucks outran Juventus around two years ago. Now it’s Milan’s turn to get rumbled.
Come on Arsenal.
