Well…it’s here. The moment of truth. The time when the men are separated from the boys. A ground where AC Milan does not lose. The San Siro is a cauldron where bigger and better teams than the current Arsenal team have floundered. The crowd are Dementors who will administer “The Kiss” (Hope you’ve read Harry Potter). In short to stop the pointless flapping about..its going to be very tough and a big big thing if we go through without an Eboue dive.

I discussed the tactics last time round so I don’t think I’ll go into that much depth tonight. I’m thinking AC Milan though for a minute — Is Clarence Seedorf really such a big loss? Yes experience wise maybe but if Milan are going 4-4-2 with Inzaghi and Pato up front with Kaka just behind the loss is pretty much negated because it will be a diamond then with Kaka at the apex,Pirlo and Ambrossini just behind and Gattuso sweeping up just behind them. The diamond if Milan play it almost certainly means that the full backs have to get forward else it surely will be too narrow. However if Nesta is fit then he will partner Kaldhze in central defense and Maldini is not going to bomb forward from left back too many times regardless of all his other extraordinary skills. If Nesta isn’t fit and Jankulovski plays then it changes the equation.

As for us…the return of RVP to the bench is highly highly positive and I hope this sparks big Ade into action and he gets his first champions league goal tomorrow at the San Siro. I’m almost certain AW will play 4-5-1 with Hleb in the hole and against a diamond formation(if it is played) it can be very effective if played properly. Thats because its effectively a 4 against 3 in midfield if you take both Kaka and Hleb out of the equation. That leaves Cesc-Flamini-Eboue-Denilson against Pirlo-Gattuso-Ambrossini.

That’s where the match will be won or lost if at all that formation is played. If Milan do go with a flat 4-4-2then I’m struggling to fit Kaka in a traditional position so he’ll probably roam and someone will “man mark” him in the zones.

Can Cesc turn it on against the Rosinieri? Can he pull the strings like he did in the first leg? He looks absolutely knackered but the great players go through bad patches and perform in the big games. Can Cesc do it? Can Hleb who has also been off form find a needle pass in the 88th minute that will split a miserly Milan defense? Can Eboue NOT DIVE and play a good 65-70 minutes before Theo comes on? Can the Flamster like last time take The Snarl completely out of the game and let Cesc dictate the play? Can Senderos forget that unlucky own goal and watch Pato’s runs? Can Clichy play the offside trap against the wily wily old fox Inzaghi? Can Almunia pull off a blinder off one of the 3 shots Milan will have on goal? I’m not worried about Sagna and Gallas and probably Flamini because I know they’ll be up for it. I’m definitely not so sure about the rest but hope that they’ll be up for it.

Will Atlas Shrug today(awesome novel)? Will an overbearing ever growing load of expectations be far too much to bear today when we talk on the wily old pros in Italy? Or will they stuff yet another set of pundit’s predictions down their fat mouths.

I think we’ll do it – between 70 and 80…a tight tight game but Arsenal will nick this. Milan will not be able to control the game like they did against Manchester United — they will not be able to slow it down because we ourselves slow it down and play a very similar possession keeping style of football.

AC Milan 0 – Arsenal 1