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February 15, 2012 7:45 PM GMT
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza — Milano
Referee: V. Kassai
Attendance: 64462
Champions League Player Ratings: AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal
Goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed the Italian side a victory that all but seals their progression to the next round of the competition
By Oliver Platt
Could not have expected a much quieter night at this stage in the Champions League. His one real save was an excellent one, as he denied Van Persie at full stretch.
Calm and reliable in the centre of defence, and remained untroubled when Henry was introduced at the break.
Had little to deal with in the absence of a real wing threat on the Arsenal left. Supported attacks adequately.
Few defenders have dealt with Van Persie with such ease this season. Physical and commanding.
Quickly showed he could deal with the threat of Walcott and spent more of his time on the attack down the left-hand side.
Masterful in central midfield. Rarely gave the ball away and snuffed out most potential Arsenal attacks before they had gathered any sort of steam.
Substituted after only 12 minutes with injury.
Enjoyed plenty of space in midfield and took advantage of it. The pass that set up Boateng's opener was exquisite and he went close with long distance shots on a couple of occasions.
His pace and power is a real asset to the Milan attack. It will be some consolation to Arsenal fans, at least, that he is showcasing his skills in Italy and not for former club Tottenham.
Grew in influence as the first half progressed. May have been offside in the build-up to Milan's second goal, but his cross was perfect. Later brilliantly set up Boateng for a good chance before grabbing the final goal of the evening.
Improved as the game went on after a somewhat wasteful start with the ball. His first goal was a routine finish but with the second he displayed just how explosive a player he can be.
Brought on shortly after Arsenal's only real chance of the match, he helped his side keep possession and close the game out.
Might not have quite developed the guile of some of his more experienced team-mates, but his energy and movement undoubtedly helped to create the space in which the likes of Ibrahimovic could thrive.
Replaced Robinho as a late substitute.
Little he could do to prevent the Milan goals. Saved bravely at the feet of Antonini in the first half.
Generally used the ball well and defended solidly, but found little in the way of support in front of him as Walcott struggled.
Uncharacteristically careless in possession, he was lucky to hear the referee's whistle when harassed for the ball by Ibrahimovic. Koscielny bailed him out when he coughed up possession to Robinho later in the first half.
Withdrawn due to injury in the first half, the France defender actually coped reasonably with Ibrahimovic. If the Swede was onside for Milan's second goal, it was not the fault of Koscielny, and otherwise he generally managed to subdue the former Barcelona striker, whose influence only grew after his substitution.
Little more than a passenger. Did not challenge Nocerino, who preferred to stay deep rather than attack the byeline.
Found space better than any other Arsenal player, but had little in the way of support and frequently gave up possession by trying to force the ball into the feet of Van Persie.
Cannot influence the game without the ball, and Arsenal struggled to get hold of it due to the intelligent passing and movement of Milan's diamond midfield.
There are few players in Europe more effective at shutting down the space between defence and midfield better than Van Bommel. Shifted out to the right-hand side in the second half, he had little impact.
Simply had too much to deal with in front of the back four and as a result struggled to break-up much of Milan's elegant passing play.
Totally isolated. Swamped by a combination of Thiago Silva, Van Bommel and Mexes, he did unleash one superb volley in the second half but was denied by Abbiati.
Perhaps the poor condition of the pitch played a part, but the England winger did not cause Antonini nearly enough problems. His ineffective performance was even more significant given the absence of an out-and-out attacking player on the opposite flank.
Struggled badly with Ibrahimovic, resulting in a clumsy challenge in the penalty area that allowed the Swede to add a fourth goal from the spot.
Omitted perhaps due to his inexperience, but he must be edging closer to overtaking Walcott's place in the pecking order by the game. Little chance to influence proceedings here.
There was to be no fairytale goodbye for the Gunners legend. Not the explosive player he once was, which became more evident given the lack of space he was afforded here.
| Tournament | |
| Position | |
| Ranking |
| Rank/Player | Position | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lionel Messi | Striker | Barcelona | 3.75 |
| 2. Tolga Zengin | Goalkeeper | Trabzonspor | 3.67 |
| 3. Oriol Romeu | Midfielder | Chelsea FC | 3.67 |
| 4. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Striker | Arsenal FC | 3.63 |
| 5. Didier Drogba | Striker | Chelsea FC | 3.58 |
| 6. Xavi | Midfielder | Barcelona | 3.50 |
| 7. Yann Sommer | Goalkeeper | Basel | 3.50 |
| 8. Gustavo Colman | Midfielder | Trabzonspor | 3.50 |
| 9. Roman Shirokov | Defender | Zenit | 3.50 |
| 10. Florent Balmont | Midfielder | Lille OSC | 3.50 |
| 11. Franck Ribéry | Midfielder | FC Bayern München | 3.46 |
| 12. Steve Mandanda | Goalkeeper | Olympique de Marseille | 3.44 |
| 13. Kaká | Midfielder | Real Madrid | 3.44 |
| 14. Ezequiel Lavezzi | Striker | Napoli | 3.44 |
| 15. David Silva | Striker | Manchester City | 3.42 |
| 16. Karim Benzema | Striker | Real Madrid | 3.41 |
| 17. Wojciech Szczesny | Goalkeeper | Arsenal FC | 3.38 |
| 18. Raphaël Varane | Defender | Real Madrid | 3.38 |
| 19. Petr Cech | Goalkeeper | Chelsea FC | 3.38 |
| 20. Toni Kroos | Midfielder | FC Bayern München | 3.38 |
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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Lionel Messi
Striker Barcelona |
14 | 4 |
|
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Mario Gomez
Striker Bayern Munich |
13 | 0 |
|
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Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker Real Madrid |
10 | 2 |
|
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Karim Benzema
Striker Real Madrid |
7 | 0 |
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Didier Drogba
Striker Chelsea |
6 | 0 |

