Red and Black is back..

By: Moka | September 23rd, 2008

.. with a convincing 4-1 win over Lazio. The effort, concentration, motivation were all there, making it a complete recipe for success. A very well-deserved win, with fabulous goals from Seedorf, Zambrotta, Pato and our king, Kaká.

Up in front, Milan started off with Kaká behind striking pair, Pato and Borriello. The first play involving Kaká came in the 5th minute with a low cross to Borriello, whose shot didn’t trouble the keeper. After Lazio equalized, there was another chance created by Kaká for Borriello, but the latter didn’t manage to get his head to the ball. In the 31st minute, Kaká had another one of his trademark runs, taking on a handful of players, but his finish did not find the target. Borriello and Kaká linked up yet again in the 40th minute, but this time it was Kaká who took the chance, but to no result. At this point, it was clear Kaká was desperate to score. The 2nd half started brilliantly for Milan with a goal from Pato in the 49th minute. 7 minutes later, Kaká found himself in the penalty box with the ball, and after taking on two players, he took a shot, forcing a wonderful save from Carrizo. At the hour-mark, Kaká finally got his goal with a rocket, 30 yards out, into the top right corner. Later on, there was yet another trademark Kaká run, but his shot was off the target. The match ended, 4-1.

The rocket:

A constant threat throughout the whole game, I would give Kaká a rating of 8.5/10. He could have got a brace, and maybe even a hat-trick, but overall, very good performance. Goal.com gave him a 9/10, and said this:

Absolutely inspirational. Went on a hole host of solo slalom runs, brought out a brilliant save from Carrizo, and of course scored Milan’s stunning fourth. Brilliant!

So, what can Milan learn from this game? Many things. First off, teamwork! On Sunday, Milan played like a unit, and the chances came. Another thing Milan should take note of, is the potential of the Kaká-Borriello partnership. Against Lazio, there were a few good plays between them, and I believe they should be the first two names up in front. Plus, they’re both 26, a relatively young age in Milan terms.

After the game Kaká had this to say:

We are happy because the team played a nice match, we showed we are a group and this was the first step in the league. A match that has to be an example for all the others. I always try score, if I don’t see a team mate in a good position I go for the shot… and today it went well. It’s an important moment, you can see the team is compact; we are a close group and this helps us to win, and brings us even more satisfaction. Also Zambrotta’s goal came thanks to a great shot. The team is showing what sometimes other teams show against us. Slowly but surely I am finding my best condition. The more I play the better I feel. I have played three matches consecutively and this makes me very happy.