From one black and white club on Sunday to another this
Saturday, it may seem like Milan are only seeing things in black and white. But
this enemy is different. Whereas Sunday’s opponent were the league leaders,
this week finds Udinese in 15th place. However after knocking
us out of the Coppa Italia this year, we can’t afford to take these zebrette lightly.
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| Please no airplane landing for this one, he is Udinese's top scorer this season with 8 goals |
To be fair, Guidolin faced off with Seedorf in only his
second match in charge. But he chose his tactics wisely, used his subs even
more wisely, and sent Milan home from the Coppa. And while Seedorf has learned
quickly, I would still be wary of the veteran tactician. Their home advantage
is also daunting, as is the fact that they simply seem to know how to play
Milan.
However, Udinese are coming off of a 3-0 loss at the hands
of Cagliari. But that again can be deceptive as their form prior to that
was two wins and a draw. For the Cagliari loss, Guidolin lined up Scuffet;
Naldo, Danilo, Heurtaux; Basta, Yebda, Gabriel, Pereyra, Pinzi; Di Natale, and
Bruno. However, Danilo saw yellow in that match and will miss Saturday’s clash.
Guidolin will also be without goalkeeper Benussi, defender Bubnjic, and
midfielder Lazzari, all do to long-term injuries.
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| Will he be able to out-coach Seedorf for a second time? |
Milan’s injury list puts Poli and Balotelli as doubtful for
this match, as of this writing. Both are working to return for Tuesday’s
Champions League game in Madrid. El Shaarawy is still out, of course, and
Cristante as well. However Silvestre returned to training this week, and Zapata
traveled to Barcelona for Colombia’s friendly with Tunisia, even if he didn’t
play. Honda is unlikely to feature Saturday, as he will only be returning to
Milano from Japan on Friday. But I think Seedorf will have a healthier squad
available to him, barring any travel or injury related issues from those on
duty for their national teams.
What gives me hope of three points on Saturday is the
consistency with which Milan are playing well. For Atleti, Sampdoria and Juve,
despite much squad rotation, there is a clear and obvious improvement in style
of play, teamwork, and drive that is so encouraging. Even if we seem to run out
of steam about 60-65 min. in, it is a pleasure to watch such great attacking
football with so many shots taken instead of only playing a possession game. So
much intensity and so much determination and drive, it is basically the
opposite of what we have seen all season.
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| Hopefully our masked wonder will be able to punish Udinese |
I trust that Seedorf will choose a starting eleven with
great care, giving heed to the Champions League match on Tuesday and being
mindful of players who played midweek and/or travelled. Which is a nice thing
to be able to say, because we haven’t seen squad rotation for so long, I almost
forgot it was a possibility. But after choosing the players, it will be
important for them to do the job. By putting the game away early on, it would
relieve a lot of pressure once that fitness issue kicks in for the last half
hour.
So I am optimistic. Hopeful for the three points, for no
injuries, and a great game ahead of the big do or die match on Tuesday. Just
because these zebrette had our number
in January doesn’t mean they can take this new and improved Milan. Because
Seedorf has them playing much better football already, not just seeing things
in black and white.
This post inspired
by the music of The Ramones
Our next match is
Udinese vs. Milan
Saturday, March 8 • 18:00 CET (12noon CET)
This match will be shown LIVE on BeIN Sport and RAI in the U.S.
Check here for stream links ahead of the match