As expected, just as Jon said before the match, AC Milan launched a fierce attack on Leeds United's goal from the moment the referee blew the whistle!
Just one minute into the game, Jankulovski made a long pass from the backfield to find Kaká, who had made a run into space.
However, Kaka jumped up but didn't receive the ball. Sun Jihai, who was behind him, didn't expect Kaka to misjudge the header. Caught off guard, Sun Jihai could only instinctively stretch out his right foot to try to block the ball out of bounds, but he didn't touch the ball and let it pass by.
As if anticipating Sun Jihai's mistake, Inzaghi, like a ghost, darted through the gap between Sun Jihai and Thiago Silva as the ball flew past him, stopping the ball at the edge of the penalty area and dribbling it into Leeds United's penalty area.
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"My God! Inzaghi! Where did this guy come from?" Rheinkel exclaimed.
"This guy is terrifying! One second he wasn't even on the TV screen, and the next he's already dribbled into Leeds United's penalty area! He's about to shoot! Watch out!" Jon was equally incredulous.
We were just saying that Leeds United's defense needs to stay focused and watch out for Inzaghi.
As soon as the match began, "Super Pippo" demonstrated his abilities.
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However, Inzaghi also has a distinct characteristic: fans say that his first touch is top-notch, his second touch is second-rate, and his third touch is mediocre.
Just as he dribbled into the penalty area, Silva, who had reacted in time, also tracked back to defend. Seeing this, Inzaghi didn't hesitate and took a shot with his left foot. However, the quality of the shot was somewhat worrying.
The football rolled limply past the Leeds United goal, and Schmeichel didn't even make a save, simply letting the ball roll out of bounds.
Although AC Milan's attack did not pose a real threat.
But Li Shiguang, who witnessed the whole process from the sidelines, still felt quite angry!
When he saw Inzaghi, he repeatedly told the defense to stay focused and not let him find any openings!
But the match had only just begun when Sun Jihai and Silva made such big mistakes.
Li Shiguang couldn't hold back any longer. Before Schmeichel could take the goal kick, he quickly pointed to his head and shouted at Sun Jihai, "Jihai, concentrate!! I told you and Thiago before the game that their main attacking focus today would definitely be your defensive zone. Don't let your guard down!"
Upon hearing the voice, Sun Jihai nodded and quickly ran to Silva's side to convey Li Shiguang's instructions.
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Li Shiguang was right; the absence of Alves and Cannavaro gave Ancelotti hope.
AC Milan's main attack today was on Leeds United's right flank, and Kaká, their most relied-upon player in attack, was also active on the right flank.
Leeds United have also taken measures, and so far it seems to be working quite well.
From the start, all their attacks came from the two flanks. Bale and Ribery were able to outpace the opposing full-backs with their speed. As a result, Ambrosini and Gattuso, who were supposed to be in midfield protecting Pirlo, had to go to the flanks to help their teammates defend.
Even if Leeds United lose possession, the moment AC Milan transitions from defense to attack, Toure or Sneijder can immediately move close to Pirlo to minimize his chances of getting the ball.
With both sides attacking and defending, the game progressed to the 4th minute.
Bale advanced down the left flank with the ball, but since it wasn't a quick counter-attack, AC Milan's players were already on high alert in their respective defensive zones.
Facing Gattuso in front of him, Bale felt there were no good opportunities to break through. After observing his teammates' positions, he chose to dribble laterally towards the center.
Gattuso reacted quickly; as soon as Bale flicked the ball away, he rushed up to try and clear it.
With no other option, Bale had to pass the ball to Sneijder, who was directly in front of him.
Sneijder was standing about two or three meters away from the edge of AC Milan's penalty area, so there were no defenders around him at that moment.
After receiving the ball, Sneijder looked up and saw that the penalty area was full of AC Milan players in their red and black jerseys. With no other option, he passed the ball to the right and took a long-range shot before Pirlo could catch up with him.
This shot was slightly better than Inzaghi's earlier shot, grazing the goalpost and going out of bounds, but at least Dida made a save attempt.
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"It seems both sides have found a way to deal with their opponent. Jon, I must admit, your analysis seems quite accurate," Lineker commented after Sneijder's shot went out of bounds.
Jon was pleased to hear his old partner's praise and nodded with a smile, saying, "Of course, I told you to study tactics more often and watch more game recordings of both sides before commentating, but you just wouldn't listen."
"Hey! You little brat, if you can't speak properly, you don't have to. I'm..."
"Haha, just kidding, but there's a problem... I wonder if Lee has noticed." Jon laughed, stopping Reinkel's retort, and then changed the subject, seemingly having a new insight.
"Oh? What new question do you have now?"
Reinkel looked at Jon with a puzzled expression.
After all, the game has only been going on for less than 5 minutes, and you can already see the problem?
“Hmm!” Jon nodded, pointing to Ribery on the TV who was retreating. “Did you notice that Li’s tactics today made Bale and Ribery run a lot? Although they are young and have plenty of stamina, it’s hard to maintain this kind of straight up-and-down sprint until the end of the 90 minutes.”
“Once they can no longer put enough pressure on AC Milan on the flanks, Ambrosini and Gattuso will have plenty of space to support and protect Pirlo, which will greatly increase the fluidity of AC Milan's attack.”
After Jon finished his analysis, Reinkel smiled dismissively: "It's not a big problem, is it? If someone's stamina isn't up to par, we can just replace them."
Jon's expression turned serious as he watched Kaká receive the ball and charge down the right flank of Leeds United on the television screen.
"It's not that simple."
"Leaving aside whether Leeds United's other wingers have the same attacking power as those two, if AC Milan continues to play like this, the first thing Leeds might need to adjust is their right flank defense!"
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