Milan-Salzburg 4-0, Rossoneri in the round of 16. Giroud brace and assists

AC Milan is the last to be invited to the great ball of the second round of the Champions League, the third Italian still in the running. A pass torn by arrogance, in grand style, with a 4-0 to Salzburg that had the same ambitions. The 74,000 people who crowd San Siro sing. The Rossoneri and the Austrians sing, because in short, the difference in level has been seen and there are no regrets. Milan off on Sunday in Turin is already a distant memory: on the most important evening it does not betray, it makes a show and gives reason once more to Pioli, who field Krunic instead of Diaz and De Ketelaere and reap the fruits of yet another right move .

Open face

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Theo is the captain, in these weeks without Calabria. And if it is true that the armband implies leadership duties, it is better to give a signal immediately: first gallop as early as 3 ‘, poisonous left and outside pole. The Devil does not know how to manage, Salzburg has nothing to lose, an open challenge is born, in which opportunities come from one side and the other in a continuous jet. Not quite a game of chess, that’s it. So the Meazza is exalted when Leao and Rebic try one-on-one on both sides of the attack, or when Giroud makes a door with Pavlovic in the last twenty meters, but trembles more than once, because the Austrians arrive in the area often and willingly. . And Tomori is the man of the emergency, the one who has to put the patch when Salzburg manages to find the strikers Adamu and Okafor a few meters from the goal, or to reward the dangerous insertions of Kjaergaard.

The boys of 86

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The goal of the Rossoneri advantage, on 14 ‘, arrives in the way you least expect it: on a corner, a specialty in which the Devil offensively does not excel. Nothing could be simpler, nothing more linear, Tonali’s cross from the flag and Giroud’s winning header ahead of Gourna-Douath. Olivier’s third center in this Champions League, precious as never before. For a hair they do not immediately become four, about ten minutes after the first celebration: on Theo’s shot that causes Kohn’s imperfect rebound, however, the Frenchman starts offside and the tap-in that sends the ball into the net is worthless. Party only postponed. With the three midfielders (Bennacer, Tonali and Krunic) in support of the three forwards, Milan produces play and scoring. But to take the lead at half-time, another 36-year-old is needed, namely Tatarusanu. His first half is a crescendo of interventions that are gradually less easy: the best are a timely exit on Adamu and a dive to repel the attempt of Sucic, the pawn that Jaissle makes move behind the two strikers.

The seals

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Milan presents themselves in the last 45 minutes of the group with a comforting gift, but to wipe out even the worries of the most anxious, a brick is still needed. Krunic cemented it, yet another bet won by his coach. And the assist-bank for the Bosnian’s air deflection, needless to say, is from Giroud, dominant in every situation where the ball is over two meters high. Faithful to his characteristics, Milan does not even stop at 2-0, on the contrary. Also because there is someone, like Leao, who evidently is not satisfied with their personal loot, in this gala evening. Rafa is damned, and the 3-0 goal is precisely the daughter of this desire to always push: minute 57, the Portuguese literally circumnavigates the entire Austrian defense and crosses from the right, Dedic s’impapera as worst is not possible and wraps to Giroud the gift of the shotgun.

The next hurdle

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Salzburg, already out of the match after Krunic’s goal, at that point liquefies. And only the crossbar prevents Leao from registering on the scoresheet, on the cross with the kiss of his twin Theo. The AC Milan party, however, is completed just as recovery begins: Messias uses the minutes as a substitute and left foot well. Real Madrid, Bayern, Manchester City, Porto, Tottenham and Benfica: three monsters and three excellent teams, in the urn that will draw the Rossoneri’s eighth final. But if this is Milan, they will be able to live up to their glorious European past, regardless of who they meet.