AC Milan's Key Players: They Can Win the CL

What a turnaround from the Rossoneri this season.

At the beginning Milan could not score, nor could they keep a clean sheet, despite the best of Nesta's efforts.

They were incapable of winning. They were made fun of, derided across Europe, foreseen to end up in Seria B. This Milan side was called the worst one in 25 years...But not anymore.

October has seen Milan pull itself out of the abyss and into the top four of the Serie A. We have witnessed a Milan stronger than one can remember-one that plays with passion, with heart, and with determination.

Three comeback victories in a row, one of those being against Real Madrid inside of the Bernabeu, has proven to the world that this Milan side will not go quietly into the night, or rather, it will not go at all.

No longer does Milan play the same lethargic style for which they became known for last season under Carlo Ancelotti. They now play a fast-paced 4-2-1-3, which was once deemed impossible for them.

They were thought of as slow and incapable of performing at the highest level, yet they've not only played at the highest level, they've beaten the highest of opposition.

And these key players are the reason why.....

Centreback - Alessandro Nesta

What can be said of Nesta since his return after a one-year hiatus? Absolutely dominant.

There is no doubt in my mind that Nesta is the best centreback in the game today. And I am not the only one who believes it.

When you consider that this is after his long-term absence, it is simply astonishing that he still performs at this level.

Look at Rio Ferdinand. Out for a week or two and there is a considerable drop in his form. Nesta-out for a year and it's as though he never stopped playing. He just picked up right where he left off.

Alessandro is absolutely instrumental for AC Milan this season. Not only has he been marshaling the defence into a "Great Wall of Milan", but he's also managed to win a game entirely on his own by scoring a brace right at the death.

If he stays fit, then Milan fans can at least be sleeping soundly at night knowing the central part of the defense will be secure.

Centreback - Thiago Silva

As great as Nesta is, he still needs someone alongside him and Thiago Silva is fast becoming into a great centreback.

Of course, one might say that it's easy to look good while playing next to Nesta, that anyone could do it. But Silva has proven that he can more than stand on his own two feet.

A fine partnership is forging between the pair, one that by the end of the season might be known as the best in the world.

Thiago Silva is going to learn wonders from Nesta, and from the past two games, one can see that he already has.

Against Napoli, Thiago Silva was forced to partner Kakhaber Kaladze in the center of defense-not exactly a rock at the back.

Yet he was able to make up for a few of Kaladze's mistakes and keep a clean sheet unitl Abate was sent off. Versus Chievo he again partnered Kaladze at the back and this time Milan was able to take the clean sheet home.

He even showed off a little bit of the Brazilian in him, going off in a true Beckenbauer-fashion, lung-busting run that resulted in him hitting the post.

This shows that Milan aren't entirely dependent on Nesta, but also on Thiago Silva.

Central Midfield - Andrea Pirlo

Admittedly, when Chelsea were knocking on the door for Pirlo earlier this summer, I was one of those who thought that maybe it was time for Pirlo and Milan to part ways.

I don't know what I was thinking; thank god he didn't.

Towards the end of last season, Pirlo's form and set-piece delivery was lacking, and I wasn't the only one to notice.

However, just like almost everyone else at Milan, the introduction of Leonardo seems to have picked him up. Just like in the good 'ol days, Pirlo doesn't misplace a single pass, nor does he ever lose possession.

Time and time again he seems to be able to see passes that others wouldn't, passes that split stubborn defences right in half. And in this new formation, he even gets forward now. His goal against Real Madrid is testament to that.

He seems to have a newfound speed about him as well, almost as though he's bought a new pair of legs. Seeing Pirlo play for Milan now is once again a blessing.

Central Attacking Midfield - Clarence Seedorf

Although officially playing a 4-3-3, in reality under Leonardo Milan play a 4-2-1-3 formation with Seedorf in the hole behind three forwards.

He has excelled in this role, since the three forwards take away most of the defender's attention and give Seedorf space to play.

This in turn allows him to pull the strings in the final third with his amazing technique which has already produced a number of assists for Milan's strikers.

Amazingly, he not only does all that, but Seedorf is also willing to track back and help out in defense.

A number of times this season he has dropped back to steal the ball, only to spring Milan into a counter, another thing once thought of as impossible for Milan due to their supposed "lack of pace."

This perhaps is one of the most important aspects of his new role-the counterattack. For a man 33 years of age, his motor sure is still running.

Once a feature complete forgotten to Milan under Ancelotti, the counterattack has given Milan a completely different approach to attacking.

The Rossoneri are no longer reliant on just patient build-up play, which can easily be stopped by a stubborn defense, but they now pack a powerful bite in the counter.

This in turn also helps out defensively since teams are now much more timid in their own attack, wary of the Milan counterattack.

Right Striker-Alexandre Pato

One of the brightest prospects in world football, Pato is returning to form with Milan.

He is capable of playing across the top, capable of putting in good crosses, of cutting in on the inside, and most importantly scoring beautiful goals.

He was on a bit of a drought at the beginning of the season other than his brace vs Siena, however he is once again starting to deliver for Milan.

He has scored consecutively since the Roma game, excluding the Chievo game played on Oct. 31.

Needless to say, the boy has got pace and lots of it. He is capable of beating his man and turning defenders with his speed and acceleration.

That's precisely what the Rossoneri need to give them that extra something in the big games and thankfully they've got it.

Centre Forward - Marco Borriello

He is just the man that Milan needed in the centre forward position.

He is good inside the box, he is good outside the box. He is good out wide or central. And perhaps best of all, he is capable of beating his man in a one-on-one situation.

Last season he only featured seven times due to an injury that took him out for the remainder of the season.

However, whenever he has featured this season, he has played well and the team seems to respond to that. He is a great off-the-ball player, as he often uses his positioning to drag defenders out of position and create space for his teammates.

If Milan continue to play a 4-2-1-3, the best starting forward line would be:

Ronaldinho-----Borriello-----Pato

This would create a highly mobile, fluid, and most of all unpredictable forward line which has the potential to be one of the best in Europe.

All three of those players can play out wide or central, making their role interchangeable and a real nightmare for defenders to mark.

We can already see the benefits of this in the game Milan played against Chievo, in which the starting lineup was this one, resulting in Borriello scoring a brace.

Left Striker-Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho at Milan has been a man of two extremes.

Fifty percent of the time he gives away the ball and frustrates, the other 50, he spends providing assists and dazzling the crowd.

He is either hot or cold, there is no lukewarm. He's either playing extremely well, or extremely poorly. And that inconsistency is what is truly frustrating about him. But how do you bench Ronaldinho?

He might play poorly for 60minutes, then spring up in the 61st with a through ball from the heavens. He is absolutely unpredictable.

Yet if Milan want to win anything this season, Ronaldinho will be key.

He has already proved pivotal in a couple of games. The game against Roma instantly comes to mind, in which he converted a penalty to level the score.

And then he provided a breath-taking assist for Pato to score, thereby winning the game for Milan.

Again, although he lost the ball multiple times and didn't play all that well, those two moments of magic are all that's necessary from 'Dinho to turn a game around.

Coach-Leonardo

This Milan side's newfound desire to play and play beautifully can all be attributed to this man.

He changed the style that was grinding Milan down, he changed the formation that was too static and predictable, he changed everything from the Ancelloti era.

Players such as Seedorf and Pirlo have been playing with renewed enthusiasm and joy, with an extra pep in their step.

At one point, there were rumours that he was to be sacked. It didn't happen however and rossoneri fans around the world can now revel in the team he has built that is just now turning into "his" team.

It was always going to take some time to adapt to his style and tactics but it is paying off. He gives us hope for the future and for more cups & trophies.