milanezi 1 - 3 Atlético (393200652)

Due to an all-day shower, 1225 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at Guisepe Meaza. Knud-Erik Abrahamsen was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Tommi Teikari and Maurilio Valentini. milanezi decided to use a 3-4-3 set up. The following players took the field: Počina - Penava, Wedberg, Polić - Zorić, MacGeoch, Švenjak, Zanić - van Diest, Tvrdić, Etcheverria.

Atlético tactics involved an interesting 2-5-3 combination. The following players had been chosen: Kichkov - Skobodziński, Cailleaux - Pavić, Ševo, Deverić, Beverin, Pletikosa - Floriano, Verić, Guéraud.

C. Guéraud did not have a good day today, often losing his footing on the muddy pitch. The home crowd was not impressed by the fancy moves of Atlético's C. Guéraud after 23 minutes. He converted a pass from the left for a goal, resulting in the visitors taking the 0 - 1 lead. milanezi's L. Penava had to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines, after twisting his ankle with 28 minutes having been played. D. Kirac was the replacement. milanezi tried to even things up by sending a long ball towards the centrally placed strikers, but the visitors' defence got the best of this rather direct style of play. 31 minutes in, Atlético's H. Cailleaux received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. The boggy pitch disrupted the game, especially for technical players like V. Zorić. 34 minutes into the match, the visitors put themselves ahead 0 - 2 as C. Guéraud finished off an attack from the left with a spectacular scissors kick. It was 0 - 2 at the break. Atlético enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 55 percent of possession.

With 60 minutes played, the milanezi coach decided a substitution may help turn the game around. A. Livnat came on, J. Tvrdić had to leave the fray. The home team's supporters got excited again when H. Wedberg broke through the visitors' central defence and caught their keeper off guard, making it 1 - 2. H. Cailleaux came close to extending the visitors' lead when he found himself completely unmarked in front of the goal after a pass through the middle. He tried to lift the ball over L. Počina but overcooked it and hit the bar instead. V. Ševo received a delicate pass through the home side's central defence after 88 minutes, and chipped it past the flailing keeper to score making it 1 - 3. The Atlético fans went wild, whilst the home fans started to think about leaving early. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Atlético, with 55 percent of the ball.

A. Livnat performed admirably for milanezi. D. Kirac turned in a dismal performance, however. The most dominating Atlético player was without a doubt N. Verić. S. Kichkov was a disappointment, however. The match ends 1 - 3.