© EuroFootball.com
After the last Champions League Group E match, in which last season's finalist not only avoided elimination from the tournament but also secured first place in the group, team strategist Carlo Ancelotti was delighted that his pupils managed to withstand the pressure and now can prepare with a lifted mood for the Milan derby next weekend.
Before Tuesday's match, the "Milan" team needed to play at least a draw of 0-0, 1-1, or 2-2 against Gelzenkirchen at home to secure their place in the Champions League, or wait for "PSV" to lose to "Fenerbahce".
However, undoubtedly in the most beautiful and intriguing match of the day, the Italian team managed to win. The outcome of the match was uncertain until the last minutes, as a draw of 3-3 would have been enough for the German team to qualify for the next round.
"Reaching the next stage means a lot to us. We knew we had to play our best, and we handled the pressure quite successfully, although the pressure came more from the importance of the match, rather than any pressure from the side of 'Schalke'." - pondered C.Ancelotti - "I am satisfied with what we have achieved, and I am glad that we can leave behind the problems that currently exist in our defense. 'Schalke' is a great team, and we performed well and advanced to the next stage from a very evenly matched group."
The hero of the day at the "San Siro" stadium was Brazilian Kaka, who was almost unstoppable and practically perfectly took advantage of the opportunities he received, scoring twice. He even managed to send the ball into the goal for a third time, but it was disallowed due to Filippo Inzaghi's offside.
"We deserved this victory after all that people were saying about us the past few days. We did not fail in a tough group, and now we can prepare for the Milan derby." - said the Brazilian, who was angry with Cristiano Poulsen's dirty play after the first match with "Schalke" - "The match was great and I am satisfied with my performance. I am glad that I was able to help the 'Milan' team win, but now we need to calm down and improve. We responded correctly to people like Poulsen with good football."
Meanwhile, "Schalke" head coach Ralf Rangnick could take solace in at least a good performance by his team in the match: "I am very pleased with the team's performance tonight. We played well in the first half and at the start of the second half, but we failed to capitalize on the opportunities we created. We could have taken the lead first, but we didn't, and then after losing control of the ball, 'Milan' scored two goals. In the end, it cost us the match against 'Fenerbahce', where despite dominating, we couldn't win."
