- Title: ITALY: MILAN PREPARES FOR MANCHESTER UNITED CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH
- Date: 7th March 2005
- Summary: CARNAGO, ITALY (MARCH 07, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PRESS OUTSIDE 2. POSTER READING MILANELLO SPORTS CENTRE WHERE TEAM AC MILAN TRAINS WITH PHOTO OF PLAYER PAOLO MALDINI 3. AC MILAN COACH CARLO ANCELOTTI SITTING DOWN AT PRESSER 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) AC MILAN COACH CARLO ANCELLOTTI SAYING: "We shouldn't think about what happened at the first-leg -- either consciously or unconsciously -- but we should consider the worth of our opponents, that is what they managed to accomplish in that match and also what we managed to accomplish. This is all we should think about so we dont make any calculations in our preparation for the second-leg. We don't want to make any calculations." 5. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENECE 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) AC MILAN COACH CARLO ANCELLOTTI SAYING: "I think (Manchester United) will play in the same manner. They will probably play with two forwards, it is a team inclined more to play attacking and I think our strategy won't change." 7. CAMERAMAN 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) AC MILAN COACH CARLO ANCELLOTTI SAYING: "A player who has been off the field, it is clear that as more time passes, his condition improves. These matches are very important to the players, so even if theyre not in their best physical condition, they still manage to put in amazing amount of energy to play well." 9. JOURNALIST WRITING 10. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) AC MILAN COACH CARLO ANCELLOTTI SAYING: " I think the most dangerous element of the (Manchester United) is the forwards." 11. REPORTERS 12. ANCELOTTI LEAVING Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 22nd March 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CARNAGO, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVAHZ0XZ0O2NN8C15NSDU4UG1D5
- Story Text: Coach Carlos Ancelloti remains cautious as Milan
need only a draw against Manchester United to seal a place
in the Champions league last eight.
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday (March
07) he believed Tuesdays Champions League second-leg tie
with Manchester United would be a tight affair -- and
warned that his team can be at their most dangerous in the
final moments.
"We shouldn't think about what happened at the
first-leg -- either consciously or unconsciously -- but we
should consider the worth of our opponents, that is what
they managed to accomplish in that match and also what we
managed to accomplish," AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelloti told
journalists at
a news conference.
"This is all we should think about so we dont make any
calculations in our preparation for the second-leg. We
don't want to make any calculations, said Ancelotti.
Milan are favourites to take a place in the last eight of the
compe
tition after bringing back a 1-0 lead from the
first-leg at Old Trafford thanks to a goal 12 minutes from
the end by Argentine Hernan Crespo.
Caution and cool defending are likely to be Italian's
watchwords at the San Siro. Ancelotti's team know a draw
would be enough to see them through although the coach
insists that will not mean a negative approach.
"I think (Manchester United) will play in the same
manner. They will probably play with two forwards, it is a
team inclined more to play attacking and I think our
strategy won't change,"
said Ancelotti.
After two defeats in a shaky January, Milan have won
their last seven games -- four of them 1-0. On Saturday
they beat Atalanta 2-1 courtesy of a final second winner
from midfielder Andrea Pirlo.
The Milan coach said he expected United's Dutch striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy to be in better shape than on his
return from injury in the first leg.
"A player who has been off the field, it is clear that
as more time passes, his condition improves. These matches
are very important to the players, so even if theyre not in
their best physical condition, they still manage to put in
amazing amount of energy to play well," said Ancelotti.
With Ukrainian European Footballer of the Year Andriy
Shevchenko ruled out, Crespo is again expected to lead the
line for Milan although Ancelotti can call on Filippo
Inzaghi whose substitute appearance against Atalanta marked
his return from injury. Former United defender, Dutchman
Jaap Stam, is also fit again and could play some role in
Tuesday's game.
Milan will have to wait for a fitness check on Georgia
left back Kakha Kaladze. If he misses out then Giuseppe
Pancaro is on stand-by.
Six years ago Ancelotti was coach of the Juventus side
who earned a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford only to lose the
second leg of their semi-final 3-2 at the Delle Alpi
stadium.
Milan went one better than Juventus in the first leg of
their knockout round match last month, winning 1-0 in
Manchester, but the Italian is taking nothing for granted.
Ancelotti said he was wary of whatever attack Alex Ferguson
chose to field. "I think the most dangerous element of the
(Manchester United) is the forwards," Ancelotti said.
Probable teams:
AC Milan: 1-Dida; 2-Cafu (or 31-Jaap Stam),
13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 4-Kakha Kaladze;
8-Gennaro Gattuso, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 20-Clarence Seedorf;
10-Rui Costa, 22-Kaka, 11-Hernan Crespo.
Manchester United: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Wes Brown, 5-Rio
Ferdinand, 27-Mikael Silvestre, 4-Gabriel Heinze;
7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 16-Roy Keane, 18-Paul Scholes,
25-Quinton Fortune, 11-Ryan Giggs; 8-Wayne Rooney.
Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)
Team news, statistics, and probable line-ups for Tuesday's
Champions League first knockout round, second leg match
between AC Milan and Manchester United:
MILAN:
Suspended: None
Injured: None
Doubtful: Andriy Shevchenko (cheekbone), Kakha Kaladze
(back)
MANCHESTER UNITED:
Suspended: None
Injured: Gary Neville (ankle), Louis Saha
Doubtful: None
Probable teams:
AC Milan: 1-Dida; 2-Cafu (or 31-Jaap Stam),
13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 4-Kakha Kaladze;
8-Gennaro Gattuso, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 20-Clarence Seedorf;
10-Rui Costa, 22-Kaka, 11-Hernan Crespo.
Manchester United: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Wes Brown, 5-Rio
Ferdinand, 27-Mikael Silvestre, 4-Gabriel Heinze;
7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 16-Roy Keane, 18-Paul Scholes,
25-Quinton Fortune, 11-Ryan Giggs; 8-Wayne Rooney.
Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)
Head-to-head
Played: 5 Wins: AC Milan 3 Man Utd 2
EC: SF 8.05.58 Manchester Utd 2 AC Milan
14.05.58 AC Milan 4 Manchester Utd
0 EC: SF 23.04.69 AC Milan 2 Manchester Utd
0
15.05.69 Manchester Utd 1 AC Milan
0
CL: KO 23.02.05 Manchester Utd 0 AC Milan
1
- - Milan have won their last five Champions League
home games, scoring 16 times and conceding just three.
- - Milan have never lost at home to an English team
though they have drawn the last three such games.
- - United have not won any of their last four
Champions League away games. However, they have won on two
of their last three visits to Italy, both against Juventus
and in both of which they scored three times.
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