Champions, Milan win 4-0 in Zagreb. Now a draw with Salzburg is enough for the second round

After this slaughter perhaps Boban will review his ideas on a Milan that has yet to reach “a well-defined tactical structure”. After all, in this burly four to zero with which the Devil clears a field where the blues had not abdicated since December 2021, there is also a small revenge of Pioli right under the eyes of Zvone. Without malice and always in friendship, of course. But that of Milan was one Master’s lesson in all respects. He could have happily ended up with another pair of Rossoneri goals, and now Milan are heading to the last act with the comfort of the standings and improvements on the European stage. Chelsea had actually already facilitated the evening of Giroud and his teammates, breaking the ambitions of Salzburg and relieving Milan of the obligation of two victories: when the Polish Marciniak whistles the start of the match at the Maksimir stadium, Milan know that they are enough four points – and not six – to rejoin the Champions League in February (with an interesting handful of millions in dowry). Three have already arrived, the ranking says second place and in the last round with Salzburg at San Siro even a draw will be enough. This is a slippery and complicated concept, in reality, for the Pioli gang, which is not accustomed to speculations of this type in spirit. It was also clearly seen in the last ten minutes in Zagreb, when Milan persistently and ferociously sought the fifth goal. The scoreboard celebrates Gabbia, Leao, Giroud (penalty) and an own goal by Ljubicic, but the whole orchestra has performed with that maturity and wickedness indispensable in Europe. Yes, a decisive step forward by the Devil across the border, the one that everyone in Milanello and the surrounding area was hoping for.

The choices

—

If it rains in the infirmary (for some time), then it can always hail. And so, after losing Dest and Diaz in one fell swoop (recovered at least for the bench, after the last tryout close to the match), Pioli was also left without Mirante, stretched out by the flu. Translated: on the bench, with gloves on, the two Primavera Jungdal and Nava. An emergency that hit hard especially in defense, without Dest and the suspended Tomori, and therefore obligatory: Kalulu full-back, Kjaer and Gabbia central. In the middle of the trocar repair exam for De Ketelaere, with Rebic on his right and the return of Giroud in front. Cacic with the reference attack: Petkovic and Orsic, scoring at San Siro and observed special on the Milanello tactics board during the week, but well contained by Kalulu and Kjaer. As often happened during the Piolian management, his boys were able to go beyond the difficulties generated by the absences and the waves of Dinamo – like an undertow: drowning en masse and then returning to recompose themselves in their own territories – were effectively rejected. The Croatians immediately tried to scare the Devil with five minutes of ferocious pressing, but Milan have long since learned to manage these situations. Also because the juice of the first 45, which emerged in a short time, clearly illustrated how the Rossoneri’s offensive maneuvers, even if not exactly hammering, were more incisive and dangerous than the blue shirts.

Super Ismael e Sandro

—

As expected, Dinamo relied on restart lunges, skilled in game changes and central insertions, which found Milan in a bad way more than once in the median. Voragini then closed somehow in the last twenty meters. As the minutes went by, Milan grew in personality and effectiveness, starting to worry Livakovic. First Giroud (offside) with a heel, then Peric saved with an unguarded goal on a left-footed shot from Kjaer. The Croatians experienced the best moment after the quarter of an hour – Gabbia calmed a poisonous ball in the area, Tatarusanu rejected Ivanusec – and then they limited themselves to checking, also because Milan gradually raised the center of gravity. First a rescue by Misic on Rebic and then a great reflex by Livakovic on Giroud practically announced the goal, in the air for a while: a free-kick by Tonali, deep and masterfully designed, and a winning header by Gabbia, second goal among the pros in his career and third in the Champions League. A few notes on the singles: monumental Bennacer in cut and sew in front of the defense, Tonali superlative to carve out vital meters all for himself close to the trocar, something that De Ketelaere once again failed.

Rafa slalom

—

Pioli took him off the scene at minute 7 of the resumption (inside Krunic), now definitely comforted by the way the team had started the second half of the match. Thanks to Leao, who after a first half that we could define halfway between lazy and sly, remembered … to do the Leao: personal action started from afar – very far -, Rafa passed through Moharrami, Ristovski and Sutalo, forcing them to a fool, and slipped all alone behind Livakovic. Game in the icebox in the quarter of an hour, when at that point in front of Milan obviously several meadows opened wide. Precious heel of Rebic for Tonali, hooked in the area by Ljubicic, and penalty converted by Giroud. Three to zero. At that point, Dinamo lost any propulsive ambition and ended up almost entirely in the hands of the Devil. Giroud took on a personal challenge with Livakovic and twenty from the end another percussion by Leao led to Ljubicic’s own goal. The score stopped at four only for the colossal waste in the goal zone, with Krunic and Rebic who devoured the five.