In the postponement on Saturday, Milan and Bologna divide the stakes. On the shields Loftus-Cheek and Zirzkee.
In one evening damn, Milan is unable to go beyond a draw against a vigorous Bologna. The match, however, was beautiful: continuous reversals of action, very high intensity, many good plays and just as many errors. Ruben Loftus-Cheek stole the show, scoring his first Italian brace, his fourth goal in the last four games. At home in Bologna open applause for Thiago Motta and Joshua Zirkzee; the former has the merit of having put together a mature team, aware of its capabilities, which never gives up on playing, not even on fields like the one at San Siro. In the second, however, San Siro seems to be leading very well, given that this performance adds to the spectacular round of 16 of the Italian Cup played against Inter, where he was an absolute star.
At Milanello they will certainly not be satisfied with the point gained. Given that the match could also have been lost, given Saelemaekers’ incursion in the 92nd minute, the two missed penalties (it hadn’t happened since 1955) and the naivety that allowed Bologna to bring home the equalizer in the 89th minute are truly too serious episodes. The prospects for Milan, five minutes from the final whistle, could have been very different compared to the current ones, which see them firmly in third place in the championship and nothing more. With those two points, Pioli’s men would have moved to just 3 points behind second-placed Inter with a game in hand. Other blood, other motivations. Certainly different from the current ones, which see the Rossoneri too far from first and fifth place.
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Milan against any form of racism? This is a day of great messages in Serie A: first Cagliari’s spectacular tribute to Gigi Riva, then San Siro, in the 16th minute, Maignan’s shirt number, launching the cry against racism through a message from Martin Luther King that appeared on the screens: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” (“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”). So that, in stadiums and more generally in our society, every form of racism may become less and less topical.
Bologna is truly a tough team, who plays openly on any pitch. High pressure, a lot of pitch to defend, a professor in midfield (Freuler) and a potential champion up front. Even though the players have changed (today De Silvestri, Fabbian and Urbanski for Posch, Orsolini and Saelemaekers) the game ideas are always clear and space coverage is excellent. Credit goes to his coach, who, after the insults received this evening, we don’t believe will have any desire to speak with the Rossoneri club if they were to think of a logical replacement for Stefano Pioli.
Olivier’s performances Giroud, the present of Milan, and of Joshua Zirkzee, his possible heir in the Rossoneri shirt, completely characterized this Saturday postponement. If for the Rossoneri 9, after a good start, it has probably arrived one of the worst performances since he wore the Rossoneri, for the rossoblù it was a continuous crescendo. To the elegance that has always distinguished him, Zirkzee has also combined the pragmatism of the real bomber jacket. Two attackers, however very similar in terms of characteristics. Both physically strong, both points of reference for the offensive maneuver of their teams. Bologna’s present and Milan’s future? Maybe. The boy certainly doesn’t seem to fear the San Siro effect.