Arsenal vs Milan: Rossoneri Show True Class in the Second Half to Close off Tie

60,000 Gunners stood eyes bulged and nostrils flaring as the half time whistle blew. They smelt blood. A miracle was upon them. 

They had seen their beloved Arsenal, powerful and co-ordinated, dismantle an experienced Milan team in a first half that saw Arsenal 3-0 up. 

They had Milan in disarray. Thiago Silva, one of the better defenders in Europe, looked schoolboy-esque. Van Bommel couldn't get near the Arsenal midfield to kick them, Ibrahimovic seemed to forget the offside rule and Mesbah, the left back or the "250,000 pound, 27 year-old" as Gary Neville kept on putting it, looked as if he was about to cry.

Arsenal were top-class, ruthless. 

Wenger's team-talk must have written itself—"The next goal decides the game, go out and kill them off as soon as possible, they are dead out there."

Massimiliano Allegri's team-talk must have been slightly more difficult but whatever the man from Livorno said, changed the tie. 

What we saw as the second half kicked off was an immediate change in Milan's approach. They were no longer a broken team.

In the first half we saw Robinho, Ibrahimovic and Emanuelson too far away from the Arsenal midfield in the defensive phase. Nor did they work hard enough in closing down the Arsenal back four, which is essential when you are playing a diamond in midfield. 

Now Milan had the three attacking players working hard and closing off the midfield space. Van Bommel could get closer to Rosicky and Oxlade-Chamberlain to shield Mexes and Silva. 

With the midfield problem now shored up, Milan could use their experience and true class to see out a game when they were seemingly dead and buried. 

Silva and Mexes gave a masterclass in quintessential Italian-style defending. They rarely had to make tackles, only interceptions; They fouled, especially Mexes, when they needed to; and they didn't allow Arsenal talisman, Robin Van Persie, space to maneuver and he couldn't produce the magic Arsenal needed. 

The whole Milan team slowly but surely frustrated an impatient Arsenal side to the point of controlling the game completely.

Arsenal became too narrow and Wenger should have changed it around before Arsenal ran out of steam around the 60th-65th minute.

He could have moved the "Ox" to the right hand side and played Walcott off Van Persie. Oxlade-Chamberlain would have used his pace and footballing intelligence to exploit the poor Mesbah. While Walcott could have attacked the immobile Van Bommel and drew out one of the two centre backs, thus creating a bit more space for Van Persie. 

He didn't make these changes and although Arsenal can be proud themselves, they have failed once again in the Champions League. Though with a couple of top class additions, I could see Arsenal go even further next year. 

Milan, on the other hand, look good. Today they were missing two important players in Seedorf and Prince-Boateng. 

As I've said, they have that real class and experience to succeed and looking at the rest of the teams left in the competition, I would put them as third favorites. 

And if they stay on the opposite side of the draw from Real Madrid and Barcelona, Milan have a brilliant chance to make the final.

Milan march on towards Munich, Arsenal continue the fight for a Champions League spot.

Both would deserve it.