by Alessandro Bocci
Milan returns to winning ways at San Siro, while Cagliari is still fighting for survival
Rafa Leao wakes up Milan. After some time on the bench, perhaps as a punishment, the Portuguese erases the apathy of this last period and, spurred by Pioli’s measure, makes all the difference in the world. He arrives with an angry crossbar, gives the assist to Pulisic after a formidable counterattack to make it 2-0 and scores the fourth goal. In the end the Devil’s goals will be five (to one) for a victory that had been missing for six games. A month that had widened the boundaries of malaise and led San Siro to become silent. And instead the goal convinces a part of the stadium, not the Curva Sud, to betray their commitment and skin their hands for the Rossoneri in a listless and lazy match in the first half, entertaining in the second half thanks to Leao, or rather Conceiçao, the name of the mother, beautifully highlighted on the t-shirt to honor Mother’s Day together with teammates and rivals.
A Milan rediscovered, too bad it’s late. Bennacer, one of the best, breaks the balance by scoring after a year, Pulisic scores a brace, Reijnders also takes part in the goal festival. Second place is safe even if it is not fully secured but this success, in addition to perhaps easing tension, is worth a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup and its load of millions. Cagliari, who have won only one of their last 23 away games in Serie A, try to put the game to sleep, try to reopen it at 2-0 with Nandez’s goal, hit a post and a crossbar in the same action with Oristanio and Shomurodov on 3 -1, but in the end, discovered and defenseless, he takes a nasty blow. Today they risk being overtaken by Empoli and tomorrow joined by Udinese. The away match in Emilia against Sassuolo next Sunday risks being decisive.
The atmosphere at the beginning is surreal, a bit like Milan without its stars and if the measure is intended as a signal to the locker room we doubt that it will arrive a little late. Pioli chooses a team that defends with the 4-2-3-1 in which Reijnders and Musah form the midfield hinge and Bennacer plays higher between Chukwueze and Pulisic, while attacking with a three with Florenzi who disengages in an attempt to make Milan more liquid. Ranieri chooses the five-man defense in which the wingers, Nandez and Obert, almost never restart the action. The pace has been slow since the end of the season and the Sardinians, still looking for salvation, have no interest in reviving it. The goal is the only flash of a grey, flat, boring first half. Bennacer scored it with an easy shot after Scuffet had somehow countered Chukwueze.
The Sardinians try some initiative on the counterattack but Luvumbo is not inspired. In the second half Milan proceeded immediately with three substitutions, introducing Tomori and especially Leao for the injured Chukwueze. Ranieri responds without changes (they will come later), but by arranging the team with four, with Zappa lower to contain Leao. A useless move because the Portuguese is unstoppable. Cagliari tries to rebel and get back into the game, but they are always chasing and in the end they give in with a crash. Five goals are a lot, but they are quickly forgotten because against Sassuolo we need another attitude. Pioli smiles: he wins after more than a month and if the farewell is obvious, he wants to end on a high note. Without rancor.
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Article being updated
May 11, 2024 (modified May 11, 2024 | 11:27 pm)
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