After signing with AC Milan, I will be the king of football!-Chapter 1722 - 467: Crew Cut and Beer Belly
"Alright, let’s check out today’s starting lineups for both teams."
Inter Milan 532 with double defensive midfielders:
Goalkeeper: Cesar,
Defenders: Zivo, Lucio, Cordoba, Materazzi, Sannetti,
Midfielders: Stanković, Sneijder, Joey Obi,
Forwards: Diego Milito, Eto’o.
AC Milan 451 with three defensive midfielders:
Goalkeeper: Buffon,
Defenders: Zambrotta, Thiago Silva, Rakitic, Ramos,
Midfielders: Gattuso, Huang Kaiwen, Pirlo, Kaka, Ambrosini,
Forward: Ibrahimovic.
"This starting lineup certainly surprises us; Inter Milan’s five-defender formation could also transform into a three-defender lineup, with Cambiasso’s injury limiting Inter Milan’s choices in the defensive midfield position."
"Yes, AC Milan also has several injuries, but deploying Rakitic as a defender is unexpected. Who knows if there will be any remarkable results."
"The 4321 Christmas Tree formation is well-known among Milan fans, initially developed by Ancelotti, and it’s been studied globally, so there’s no need to elaborate."
"Sannetti playing on the right is likely a strategy against Huang Kaiwen, both he and Materazzi are familiar opponents of Huang Kaiwen."
At 7:45 PM, the main referee Taliavento blew the whistle to start the match.
Milan kicks off first.
Ibrahimovic immediately passes the ball back.
Huang Kaiwen receives the ball and moves toward the wing.
It’s essential to widen the distance on both wings right from the start.
Eto’o quickly charges at Huang Kaiwen.
He’s known to hold grudges, remembering his former club Real Madrid forever.
Always losing to Huang Kaiwen in matches makes him quite resentful.
Therefore, Eto’o is particularly active today.
Huang Kaiwen doesn’t overextend; he quickly turns and passes back.
Gattuso receives the ball and immediately passes horizontally to Pirlo, who begins to control the tempo.
Milan’s whirlwind attack is world-famous, but they can slow down when needed.
"Don’t press too far forward, don’t keep chasing the ball!"
Deschamps shouted from the sidelines.
Guardiola nodded, this French coach has quite the skills.
AC Milan shares some similarities with Barca, which he previously coached, both teams patiently passing to find opportunities. However, AC Milan prefers passing in the backfield, then utilizing long passes to find the front.
While Barca prefers passing in the opponent’s half to force openings, using a single direct pass to conclude the attack.
In positioning battles, creating opportunities involves moving opponents through passing.
Otherwise, player personal breakthroughs can attract defenses and target weak points.
Manchester United’s 442 is a classic example.
Nevertheless, most weaker teams prefer this tactic as their overall technical skills lack the complexity needed for intricate passing. Physical breakthroughs to attract defenses are easier.
Today, Inter Milan played cautiously.
In the opening phase, both sides were probing, with no significant offense.
Sneijder attempted a direct pass behind Rakitic, Rakitic extended his foot successfully blocking the ball, initiating a counterattack with a powerful kick.
Ramos on the right chested the ball down, positioning it behind Stanković.
He accelerated and squeezed his way through.
Seeing this, Huang Kaiwen quickly moved forward, Ibrahimovic noticed Huang Kaiwen attracting massive defense, slyly moving toward the left post. His large frame making such a move appeared comical.
Zivo held back to prevent danger near the penalty area.
Ramos rarely shoots directly, unlike Kaka, Huang Kaiwen, and Ibrahimovic.
Indeed.
Ramos neared the penalty area and released a long pass.
The ball delivered swiftly, Huang Kaiwen between Lucio and Cordoba jumped and headed it accurately.
Bang—
Duang—
The ball fiercely struck the left post and rebounded, Cordoba misjudged, clearing space for Huang Kaiwen, who turned and shot, sending the ball neatly into the right side of the net.
"Beautiful!!!"
Ibrahimovic excitedly rushed toward Huang Kaiwen, but quickly scowled after two steps.
Damn!
Ramos was faster once again.
Initially, Ramos was outside the penalty area, near Huang Kaiwen.
But his sudden accelerate was astoundingly quick.
In the blink of an eye, he reached Huang Kaiwen’s side.
Ibrahimovic awkwardly touched his big nose, resolving to only approach Huang Kaiwen with absolute confidence next time.
Although the Meazza Stadium is also San Siro,
today Milan fans were allocated relatively few tickets.
Since it’s Inter Milan’s home ground, after all?
Yet, among over eighty thousand attendees at Meazza, only the cheers of Rossoneri could be heard.
Wearing blue and black striped shirts, the Nerazzurri stood bewildered watching the field.
The scene felt both foreign and familiar; despite Huang Kaiwen leaving Serie A, memories of Milan’s number ten remain.
Last season, it was this man who blocked them from the UEFA Champions League final.
Sometimes, habits can indeed be terrifying.
"Defense, defense!!!"
Deschamps clapped his hands on the sidelines: "So many defenders, yet not a single one can mark properly. Are you kidding? I don’t understand what you’re thinking. You were just shy of last year’s final, show some level akin to the UEFA Champions League semi-finalists, can you?"
Playing Chelsea isn’t the same as playing AC Milan.
Even if the entire Italy presumes AC Milan would win, but this is the Milan Derby.
As Inter Milan’s coach, he holds substantial responsibility.
Deschamps never easily admits defeat.
But after his reminders, Inter Milan lost possession right after restarting.
Seeing Zambrotta advancing, Huang Kaiwen swiftly spread the ball to the wing, sprinting inside, attracting Inter Milan’s defense.
Zambrotta faced little obstruction. He reached the bottom on the left and made a low cross pass.
Deschamps clenched his fingers tightly.
Materazzi’s sliding tackle was ineffective; the ball rebounded off him right in front of Ibrahimovic, who directly volleyed.
Under the watchful eyes of over eighty thousand people, Huang Kaiwen stood in front of the goal blocking Ibrahimovic’s sure goal!
