AC Milan-Manchester United: Five Points of Discussion, Five Observations

The Champions League Round of 16 clash between the Italian giants AC Milan and English giants Man United was one of the best televised European matches. It was a five-goal thriller which will live in the minds of the supporters of football for a while.

The Points of Discussion

1 . Milan keeper Dida is prone to the costly error once in a while. He made a few good saves in the match but might have prevented the first of the United goals. He also made another shaky save which might have easily cost Milan the tie.

Should Milan replace the Brazilian for the second leg? Probably, the best option is to let him play on, but coach Leonardo should have a word with him about the errors.

2 . Wayne Rooney, if he can carry on his current form, will perhaps be Lionel Messi's main rival for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2010 ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo .

He might have been frustrated by Nani's crosses in the first half but kept on trying. In the second half, he dominated the game for a while and scored two well-deserved goals.

3 . Italian teams are supposed to be strong defensively by nature. The Milan defence held up well in the first half but gave away three goals cheaply to United in the second. Should coach Leonardo make some defensive changes for the second leg?

Probably he shouldn't, because Luca Antonini had to go off injured and Giuseppe Favalli had to come on. Favalli was exploited by Antonio Valencia in the second half. Antonini had a good game until his enforced substitution due to injury.

4 . Valencia really showed Nani how to provide crosses. He exploited Favalli for the second goal. There are two things to discuss here. Should Sir Alex have started him in the match, and should he start in the second leg?

Primarily, if Valencia started, Man United might not have played as poorly as they did in the first half. Secondly, he should definitely start the second leg.

5 . Should Michael Carrick have been sent off? His second offence occurred due to frustration. There are some referees who don't usually give a card for Carrick's second offence. The referee, in my view, was correct in sending him off.

The Observations :

1 . Paul Scholes is a wonderful player, even at 35 years of age. He really proves to the world that age is just a number. His passing ability was there for all to see as he drove the United midfield forward. The goal he scored was incredibly lucky, but he indeed deserved it.

2 . There are two sides to Ronaldinho and both were on show tonight. He did well for the majority of the game but wasn't a factor in the second half at times. He is still a classy player and one of the best to watch. His tricks and flicks were on show tonight and his goal was well-deserved.

3 . David Beckham's performance was a rather subdued one. The midfielder failed to make an impact and his only contribution was perhaps the freekick that led to Ronaldinho's goal.

4 . Milan are no ordinary Italian side if Andy Grey is to be believed. Their attack is full of flair and lovely to watch. The match last night showed that Italian football is not boring, contrary to suggestions made by some English commentators.

5 . Clarence Seedorf is still someone to watch. He kept Milan in the tie with a clever goal late on. His goal could prove to be a very important one in the second leg. He did what the two forwards Pato and Huntelaar failed to do for the majority of the game: finish off a chance.

The game was a great advertisement for the sport. It was also Man United's first victory in five attempts against Milan in the San Siro. The second leg should prove to be another entertaining game.

What do you think about the points of discussion that have been raised and the observations? Your comments are well and truly welcome.