Rangers 2 Milan 2
Ibrox Park. That is the name given to one of the Europe's footballing Fortresses. On its night, it would define the game like no other. Last night, Rangers hosted Milan in a friendly. It was a decorated one, considering the grandeur of these clubs.
Ancelloti fielded a team, that truly impressed me. A futuristic AC Milan defense was asked to hold out The Gers. Lets get specific. A futuristic AC Milan defense was asked to hold out The Gers, at the Ibrox. Now putting things into perspective, it is a ground that shakes the courage and valor of many great champions as they set foot on the green grass of the field. The noise is deafening, the fans are ballistic. If you are a member of the visiting side, all you can really hear is the chants of glory for your opponents and the hoots of hatred for yourself. And asking a defense comprising of Senderos, Silva, Mattioni and Antonini to keep out the Light Blues was like asking the 300 Spartans to win against the Persians, and to stay alive.
Many eyes would have been on the 'next Maicon', as Mattioni was given his first start as a Milan player. The first half was uneventful. Ronaldinho was playing quite well. He has lost pace, but the dimension of intelligence which has been an important facet of his game was being reflected with his crisp and sharp passes. Inzaghi's finishing would have brought shame upon his followers. AC Milan were dominating in terms of attack, putting the home side on the back foot for most of the half. Dida was made to produce a save which was probably the only bright moment of the Rangers attack. Ronaldinho hit the bar from a freekick on the 25th minute.
Second half saw Ancelloti make his first set of impressive substitutions. Darmian came on for Senderos and Seedorf replaced Beckam. On the 60th minute mark, Milan saw 3 substitutions being made, as Cardaccio replaced Flamini, Kaka came on for Ronaldinho, and Mattioni made way for Jankulovski. 63 minute, Seedorf produced some magical turns, but his shot swung outwards and dint hit the target. Just a minute later. a weak header from Antonini, resulted in absolute chaos between Silva and Darmian, and Beasley finished for Rangers. Dida certainly helped in giving the home side the lead. Silva disclosed that he is still pretty much an amateur with that outrageous bit of defending. Pato came on and with immediate effect, scored a goal, that any poacher would have been proud of. This was due to some ping pong in the Teddy Bear's defense, which levelled out the shabby defending for the day. Inzaghi continued his tradition of woeful finishing. Albertazzi then displaced Antonini, and this was like a good omen. Kaka, just minutes later, showed great strength as he shook off a defender and shot a powerful low drive, leaving Alexander with absolutely no chance. 5 minutes later, Sasa Papac showed good composure on Aaron's through ball, as he slotted the ball past Dida. Final score, 2-2.
Pirlo, whose name will be missing on the squad sheet for the weekend due to suspension, was given the full quota of 90 minutes. So was Inzaghi, and that is a mystery that continues to intrigue me. With Inter having a backbreaking fixture list over the next couple of months, and with Juve's future only in their ageing hands, the Scudetto seems a sniff away. Forza Milan!
Video Highlights - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kn30L7oPHU
Goalscorers -
Rangers - Beasley (64'), Papac (83')
Milan - Pato (69'), Kaka (77')
Ancelloti fielded a team, that truly impressed me. A futuristic AC Milan defense was asked to hold out The Gers. Lets get specific. A futuristic AC Milan defense was asked to hold out The Gers, at the Ibrox. Now putting things into perspective, it is a ground that shakes the courage and valor of many great champions as they set foot on the green grass of the field. The noise is deafening, the fans are ballistic. If you are a member of the visiting side, all you can really hear is the chants of glory for your opponents and the hoots of hatred for yourself. And asking a defense comprising of Senderos, Silva, Mattioni and Antonini to keep out the Light Blues was like asking the 300 Spartans to win against the Persians, and to stay alive.
Many eyes would have been on the 'next Maicon', as Mattioni was given his first start as a Milan player. The first half was uneventful. Ronaldinho was playing quite well. He has lost pace, but the dimension of intelligence which has been an important facet of his game was being reflected with his crisp and sharp passes. Inzaghi's finishing would have brought shame upon his followers. AC Milan were dominating in terms of attack, putting the home side on the back foot for most of the half. Dida was made to produce a save which was probably the only bright moment of the Rangers attack. Ronaldinho hit the bar from a freekick on the 25th minute.
Second half saw Ancelloti make his first set of impressive substitutions. Darmian came on for Senderos and Seedorf replaced Beckam. On the 60th minute mark, Milan saw 3 substitutions being made, as Cardaccio replaced Flamini, Kaka came on for Ronaldinho, and Mattioni made way for Jankulovski. 63 minute, Seedorf produced some magical turns, but his shot swung outwards and dint hit the target. Just a minute later. a weak header from Antonini, resulted in absolute chaos between Silva and Darmian, and Beasley finished for Rangers. Dida certainly helped in giving the home side the lead. Silva disclosed that he is still pretty much an amateur with that outrageous bit of defending. Pato came on and with immediate effect, scored a goal, that any poacher would have been proud of. This was due to some ping pong in the Teddy Bear's defense, which levelled out the shabby defending for the day. Inzaghi continued his tradition of woeful finishing. Albertazzi then displaced Antonini, and this was like a good omen. Kaka, just minutes later, showed great strength as he shook off a defender and shot a powerful low drive, leaving Alexander with absolutely no chance. 5 minutes later, Sasa Papac showed good composure on Aaron's through ball, as he slotted the ball past Dida. Final score, 2-2.
Pirlo, whose name will be missing on the squad sheet for the weekend due to suspension, was given the full quota of 90 minutes. So was Inzaghi, and that is a mystery that continues to intrigue me. With Inter having a backbreaking fixture list over the next couple of months, and with Juve's future only in their ageing hands, the Scudetto seems a sniff away. Forza Milan!
Video Highlights - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kn30L7oPHU
Goalscorers -
Rangers - Beasley (64'), Papac (83')
Milan - Pato (69'), Kaka (77')
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