The second was even more so.
-----
San Siro was the focus of attention in Europe and even the world of football because there were many superstars there!
In comparison, Ajax also had many geniuses, but they were more like "reserve" superstars. Whether they were or not, only God knew. It would only be revealed in the future. AC Milan, on the other hand, had several superstars!
Italy was the tactical paradise of the Grassi world. Academic coaches could be seen everywhere. Here, it was difficult to achieve hegemony just by relying on passion. In the process of the technical and tactical game, the spectators might be bored, but in the eyes of insiders, this was the peak stage of the highest level.
And Italy was world-famous for its defense, continuous defense!
The tactical execution rate was amazing.
It was reflected in the overall consistency of the team's battle, which was so cold that it made one's hair stand on end!
The stronger the team, the colder it was like gold. It always exuded a cold aura and was determined not to make any mistakes. Just like how Juventus often gave people a feeling when they dominated Apennine: they did not make any mistakes and made their competitors despair!
Often, the competition between well-matched competitors was about who would not make any mistakes. Perhaps a small mistake would ruin a strong team's efforts for the whole season, thus determining the champion.
AC Milan had created a magical midfield where artists coexisted and their creativity in the midfield was like a blooming flower, full of variety and elusive. But similarly, AC Milan definitely had the traditional characteristic of an Italian team: stability!
Clearly, the first two rounds of the Champions League group stage were terrible, and they were two points behind Ajax. But in San Siro, AC Milan did not seem to be particularly aggressive in attacking. On the contrary, their players did not seem to be affected at all. On the basis of playing steadily and steadily, artists like Pirlo and Seedorf tried to destroy Ajax's defensive line.
It had to be said that when watching Pirlo and Seedorf play, it was difficult to feel the fierce scene of the English Premier League or the Dutch Eredivisie. They always shocked people in a way that was like taking a stroll.
With a pass, he bypassed the opponent. When no one was paying attention, he came to a suitable spot and inserted a long shot. It was like a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day!
Ajax was on the verge of collapse under AC Milan's strong offensive. Everything stemmed from the disadvantage in the midfield!
Whoever controlled the midfield would rule the world!
This was the consensus of everyone in the football world.
AC Milan's control in the midfield was too strong. The combination of Pirlo, Seedorf, and Kaka was enough to render Ajax's encirclement in the midfield futile.
On the contrary, Ajax's midfield was in an awkward situation where they could not move an inch when attacking.
Van Der Vaart had lost count of how many times Gattuso had used his body, fouled, and intercepted him like a madman.
That was simply not a contest on the same level!
Van Der Vaart wanted to use small tricks to break through the frontline, but Gattuso was unreasonable and did not fall for it.
You dare to challenge me?
I'll beat you up!
You dare to protest?
You won't even dare to fart when I glare at you!
At the end of the first half, Van Der Vaart's face was extremely gloomy. Every time he took the ball in the frontline and encountered Gattuso, it was like a big white rabbit encountering a ferocious jungle beast!
As for the other players, there was no need to mention it. Cicola was like a frightened child in front of Maldini. After two consecutive unsuccessful breakthroughs, he had no confidence in his own ball control.
Snede was also unable to do anything in front of Cafu, a veteran who had greatly weakened his assists and focused on defense.
Qin Xiong sat on the substitutes' bench and was lost in thought.
If football was only a one-on-one game.
Then Ajax would not have any possibility of defeating AC Milan.
If it was a one-on-one comparison, Ajax did not have a position to crush his opponent. Then, there was no possibility of victory.
However, football was not such a game after all. The team's chemistry would make the team's strength rise or fall under the judgment of the naked eye.
Obviously, the reason why Ajax's offense was difficult was because the offensive system in the frontline did not form a whole!
The key point was still the midfield core, Van Der Vaart.
However, Qin Xiong did not dare to guarantee that he would perform better if he replaced Van Der Vaart. Because Van Der Vaart had improved his previous awareness of going forward when organizing the offense in this game.
He probably realized early on that he wanted to create opportunities with a forward pass after taking the ball in the frontline. This might have a high success rate in the Eredivisie, but in front of AC Milan, an Italian team known for its concrete defense, it was too naive to play like this!
But Van Der Vaart still made mistakes under the ravaging of the wild beast, Gattuso.
Qin Xiong did not dare to draw a conclusion. The perspective of a bystander was always relaxed. When he was really in the situation, could he be better than Van Der Vaart? Of course, he had confidence. But reality would not develop according to subjective consciousness.
When the players of the two teams came off the field during halftime, Qin Xiong deliberately observed that although the San Siro fans were slightly anxious about AC Milan's inability to score, the AC Milan players looked calm and confident.
This gave Qin Xiong a bad premonition.
AC Milan, which opened his eyes in the first half, might not have really exerted their strength!
Ajax's goal was surrounded by danger. Fortunately, they did not concede a goal. If they could get a point as a guest at San Siro, then Ajax's prospects of qualifying for the Champions League group stage would be very optimistic.
With the score of 0: 0 in the first half, Comain naturally emphasized more on the defense during his halftime lecture so that the team would not panic.
According to past practice, the first 45 minutes of the first half was also the process of the passive side familiarizing themselves with the opponent's offensive routine. The defense was always more passive than the offense. The offense could be ever-changing, but the defense could not be changed at will.
It was under the influence of such thinking that Comain saw a situation in the second half that he had never thought of!
AC Milan exploded with incredible acceleration in the front field.
Pirlo and Seedorf accelerated the team's offense with sudden long passes or direct passes on the ground. In front of them, Kaka mainly dribbled the ball to break through. The most unexpected thing was that Andriy Shevchenko would wander on the flank. His dribbling threat could not be ignored. The top striker was willing to do the work for his teammates and provide ammunition for Inzagi. This was unimaginable. Just like the current Ibrahimovic, he would never take the initiative to pull to the side to create opportunities for his teammates. He would only make his teammates serve him!
AC Milan frequently accelerated their offense with long passes, direct passes on the ground, individual dribbling the ball to break through in the middle, and the striker pulling to the side to dribble the ball to cut inside, and so on.
Ajax's rear defensive line, which originally thought that the defense would gradually become more comfortable, was caught off guard. There was panic in the penalty area. In the 71st minute of the second half, Andriy Shevchenko and Inzagi pressed on the penalty area, driving Ajax's rear defensive line to retreat. In a way, they tore the gap between Ajax's rear defensive line and the midfield line.
Seedorf plugged in from the back and got a wide space for a long shot. He received Andriy Shevchenko's return pass and shot a heavy shot at the goal. The goalkeeper, Lobonte, bravely blocked his long shot. However, the football bounced in the penalty area and was sent into the empty goal by Inzagi's follow-up shot!
All the Ajax defenders did not react, but Inzagi seized the opportunity!
San Siro erupted in deafening cheers, and the Rossoneri team celebrated the goal enthusiastically.
1:0
Yes, it was only a f * * king 1: 0.
But for the Italian team, a 1: 0 was almost equivalent to holding the victory in their hands. The stronger the team, the more so!
Comain glanced back at the substitutes' bench expressionlessly and finally chose to send the Belgian striker, Sonke.
He did not consider Qin Xiong because the game was too crucial. In his eyes, Qin Xiong was still inexperienced. Also, Ajax needed to score now!
Then, adding more strikers was the most common way to do it.
Of course, he could not gamble like Old Robson did when he was coaching Barcelona, sending six, seven, or even eight attacking players and leaving only two or three defensive players.
Gambling also depended on whether one had the capital!
Ajax dared to make such a crazy gamble in San Siro, so the probability of winning was not more than 1%. There was a 99% chance that it would end in a collapse, and they would return to Amsterdam with bruises all over. The blow to the team's morale and confidence could affect the entire season. More seriously, it could cause the team to fall apart!
Sonke replaced the inactive Sikora and formed the two strikers with Ibrahimovic. Van Der Vaart stayed on the side, and Snede was also on the side. Ajax focused on attacking from the side, and did not need to organize in the middle, because it was useless. Van Der Vaart trembled under the shadow of Gattuso's ferocious madness for almost the entire game!
AC Milan did not have an unforgiving madness. Italy's steel-like cold temperament was vividly displayed. At least, Ancelotti would not allow the team to become "emotional" when facing Ajax in the second year. Last year, he might have underestimated the enemy and almost lost his life at the hands of Ajax's youth guards. Do it again this year? Sorry, I refuse!
Ajax tried hard to score, but still could not create a good chance. Instead, the rear defensive line was almost hit again. Andriy Shevchenko wasted a great chance to score, and his shot deflected outside the post without any interference.
In the end, Ajax sullenly left San Siro with a 0: 1 defeat.
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