So after looking like an amateur side vs. Bayern and losing
3-0, the only hope we have now is to take third place, something we have
achieved only once out of the previous three times we’ve competed in the Audi
Cup. We can play better than that, and we have. But four years ago, we also
faced Tottenham, but in the Champions League. According to the English media,
we disgraced ourselves then, so we have a bit of redeeming of ourselves if we
are to be respected. And after Tottenham played yesterday, they kind of do,
too. So consider this one a battle for dignity.
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| This starting 11 from yesterday needs redemption, please |
To be fair, Mihajlovic made the following five changes to
our starting lineup who played so well against Real Madrid last week: Zapata
for Alex, Bonaventura for Poli, Honda for Suso, Bacca for Niang, and Adriano
for Cerci. In addition to upsetting the balance of awesomeness (because some of
those were improvements, in my opinion,) Bayern played a higher tempo, more
pressing game than Real Madrid did. Guardiola probably told them that they
could only humiliate themselves once a week, and they had already exceeded
their quota. But it also shows how much work we have left that our players are
not interchangeable within Mihajlovic’ system yet. Either way, we need to
redeem ourselves today.
Tottenham finished a very respectable fifth in the Premier
League last year and are playing in the Europa League this season, too. And
actually, I thought they played quite well against Real Madrid yesterday, too,
despite losing 2-0, but they were never going to win that one. Especially not
when their former teammate Gareth Bale shamelessly scored against them. They
may think that Milan are just a bunch of thugs after meeting
Flamini and Gattuso four years ago, but not only are those guys long
gone, Milan have changed a lot since then. Now we have players like Cerci and
Matri, who could never be bothered to care enough to take someone out with a
Flamini Special™ (a two footed tackle) or defend xenophobic remarks by an
ex-Milan player the way that Gattuso did with Joe Jordan.
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| If our players defended with this much passion, maybe we'd be playing the later game tonight |
Still, both teams will be looking to redeem themselves in
the early game tonight. Milan are just looking to not take fourth place again,
and Tottenham are still wondering how they got invited to this place, but think
they can probably take a Milan side who finished tenth in Serie A last season
(and they’re probably right.) Zapata and Niang were both subbed off for
apparent injuries, so are thus doubtful for this one. But look for some of the
players who didn’t play 75 minutes vs. Bayern to get more time today. And above
all, look for Milan’s dignity. If we can’t find it in a starting eleven, we
will have to battle for it for 90 minutes vs. Tottenham. Please?
This post inspired by the music of
The Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen”
Audi Cup Third Place Match
AC Milan vs. Tottenham
Wednesday, August 5 • 18:15 CEST (12:15pm EDT)
This match will be shown on ESPN2 in the U.S.