Our defense is solid?? Maxwell we all know is great going forward,Rivas totally unproven, then either a central midfielder as a centreback or a primavera player. Of those currently fit only JZ is solid and Samuel if he makes it back.
We are without chivu,matrix,maicon,cordoba and burdisso for this game thats an entire defensive unit.
I fancy our chances much more in front of our own growd at San Siro in the next game even if PSV on paper are a better team. Home ground counts a lot in these cl games.
I didn't know we were without Cordoba too. :frustrat: I was thinking JZ--Cordoba--Samuel--Maxwell. You're right the Cordoba injury could very well cause problems. But IMO Rivas should be good enough to handle Fenerbache. He doesn't strike me as the nervous type, and skillwise he handled Barcelona pretty good.
EDIT
I disagree I think we have a better shot of beating Fener away then PSV at home. Home advantage is important but the class difference between the two teams makes up for that. But both matches are tough. Anyways, we should be able to win both. IMO there's only three or four players we absolutely can not do without. Well we can, but the team will look completely different, in a negative way.
Ibra, Stankovic, Maicon and possibly Julio Cesar. If you remove Ibra you lose a topclass target player, and someone who will create space and chances for others. Stankovic and the midfield will lose a whole lot of technical class, longshots, throughballs, and fighting spirit. Maicon is one of our best dribblers, and to not have him will weaken our offensive power immensely.
And without Julio Cesar we look shaky as shit. All my respect to Toldo but I don't feel as safe when he's between the posts. I'm not saying JZ, Materazzi, Crespo, Cambiasso, Vieira etc aren't important players. I'm just saying those four have characteristics that can't be replaced by any other player.
We're simply better then them in almost all positions, and will have most of our key players, in better physichal shape then two weeks ago. And with the form Ibra has atm I think it will take more then Fenerbache to stop us.