Atalanta-Milan 1-1. Goals at Malinovsyi, rimedia Bennacer

by our correspondent Luca Bianchin

August 21
– Bergamo

The first direct match of the season? Well, more like a motivation book, a bit of war art, a bit of Zen football. Atalanta-Milan ends 1-1, with goals from Malinovskyi and Bennacer. Atalanta better in the first half, Milan in the second. The two key plays, however, are two declarations by Gasperini and Pioli: stick and carrot. Gasp criticizes Malinovskyi on the eve (“I think it is right that Atalanta look for a player who scores more than 6 goals a year, who goes into the box more”), then sends him out on the pitch and Ruslan repays him with the left-footed advantage. Pioli, on the other hand, after a summer spent celebrating Bennacer as a possible surprise, receives the 1-1 lefty as a gift. Ah, the other key to AC Milan’s change of face – at the height of the triangle on the chest only after the break – are the changes. The most surprising, Origi for Leao, with Rafa coming out between the dejected and the disappointed.

Atalanta tear

—

The game changes twice, the first between 23 and 29 minutes. Episodes? Yes, episodes. Minute 23: XL goal ball for Messias, forgotten with gross negligence by the Atalanta defense. Junior does not see Tonali in the center of the area and, understandably, kicks. The problem is that he kicks very badly, out with the door open. Minute 29: Atalanta has a gust of wind and attacks. Tomori completely loses Malinovskyi, who does not attack the door but turns in a curl towards the edge of the area, found properly by Maehle. Strong left, deflected slightly by Kalulu, and goal.

Milan with the bench

—

The second turning point in the second half, when Pioli changes the entire attack line, hockey model, from Messias-Diaz-Leao-Rebic to Saelemaekers-De Ketelaere-Origi-Giroud. The opportunities, not by chance, multiply after a disappointing first half, with the strange impression of a Milan without offensive ideas that go beyond Leao’s improvisations. A couple of goals come before the changes. After less than 4 minutes Kalulu raises his head aim too much – and much more could have been done – then Leao has 10 seconds of omnipotence: he returns from the left and kicks with his right, out of nothing with observant Musso. The other chances, after the substitutions. First come Diaz and Rebic, the best in the first but the worst in the second, for De Ketelaere and Giroud. Then Leao and Messias for Origi and Saelemaekers. CDK takes two minutes to put Tonali on goal: the touch is super, minus the shot of the number 8, rejected by Musso. Origi, on the other hand, with 10 minutes from the end is close to overtaking: great vertical play by Theo Hernandez, dribbling by the Belgian in the area and saving Djimsiti as heavy as lead. The last real, great opportunity to change the scoreboard.

Ups and downs

—

In the end, therefore, the budgets remain. Milan loses two points from Inter and Napoli and is there. Most importantly, it discovers its new dimension 2022-23. The market has lengthened the rotations, the management of owners and changes will be essential to insert variations in the game and find new protagonists night after night. Atalanta, lower than usual for a long time, instead comes out of Gewiss with more confidence: they are still up to the great matches. If Malinovskyi will stay or not, well, this must be asked of Gasp (and Conte, perhaps).