Calculations could not do and has not done. With Sampdoria three points were needed and everyone took them, Milan: it ends 5-1 after 90 minutes whose epilogue has never been in question. If anything, it is Stefano Pioli who does the calculations on the eve: because the minutes until the season’s triple whistle are inversely proportional to the points that the standings need, to ensure that it is still the Champions League and because the numbers that do not add up are those of the alternatives . Before the race, Origi (adductor fatigue), Rebic (ankle trauma) and Vranckx (pubalgia) raised the white flag. It pours, on Saturday evening in Milan, but the San Siro thermometer is that of a stadium that doesn’t seem to have any hesitations in the run-up to the Europe of the big names, at least in terms of heat.
If the Devil starts again
After the elimination in the semi-final derby in the Champions League it was not obvious that the temperature was high mercury in the column. Instead, on the day when Nereo Rocco would have turned 111, the Milan does not betray itself and to warm up the coldness of those who still have the farewell to the Champions League final in their eyes, thinks Leao: Diaz dribbles and raises it, Gunter fails to intervene and the Portuguese supports his right plate for the advantage in the nine minute. After the 2-0 win against Spezia, the Blucerchiata Liguria are unable to create particular worries for the devil. The league table has nothing more to say or give, but the former Inter player Stankovic doesn’t agree to fielding a submissive Sampdoria. So much so that the Modenese Zanoli escapes to the right between Theo Hernandez and Brahim, putting in the middle for a Quagliarella who hasn’t scored in 20 games and who instead scores his 182 goal in the 20th minute in Serie A, the one that is worth the draw. In the evening that commemorates the victims of the flood, Ravaglia from Forlì also took center stage, with a reflex that erased Thiaw’s header.
Triple Giroud and quintuplet
Except that from the new flag shot, Diaz serves for Giroud’s winning goal: Milan ahead again. Shortly after, even the stretch: Tonali launches Leao, Gunter overwhelms him in the area, takes the yellow card and concedes the penalty. Giroud again, like 5 minutes earlier, makes the Meazza rejoice. Krunic opens his right plate too much, as well as Leris’ right-footed volley at the beginning of the second half, on the diagonal to Quagliarella’s kiss. Giroud has a couple of chances (support from Brahim and Calabria), the guests arrive at shooting with Gabbiadini. Then, to serve poker, Milan put on tails: all first-time action, with the final triangulation Leao-Tonali-Brahim, for the sixth goal by the Spaniard. The five is made by Giroud: cross from the left by Leao, the strong Frenchman anticipates Nuytinck and in two stages he sends into the net from close range, with Diaz limping and touching his groin. There is room for a blaze of Saelemaekers and a bit of academy that makes you so confident, like Giroud’s overhead kick from an angled position. Three points for Milan, bad night for Doria. Who after 11 years says goodbye to San Siro and waits for better days. He will start again from Serie B, at least that’s what his fans hope.
Redemption of Atalanta
The Goddess starts again and tries to grab the Champions area. The goalkeeper who tried to dribble and was dribbled. Montipò’s sensational injury scatters in favor of Atalanta, in the 8th minute of the second half, the intersection between Europe and salvation with a careful and tidy Verona except for the unpresentable mistake that directs the match in favor of the hosts. So that Hojlund soon slips into the corner from outside the suggestion of the revived Lookman to allow the Bergamo players to impose themselves 3-1 and return to cling to the Uefa train after two consecutive defeats. Just the couple of flashes that the Atalantini needed to get over the impasse of the question and answer between Lazovic and Zappacosta in the first half, who had deluded the Venetians, who were always third from last. The goals in the 11th and 22nd minutes are not enough to sum up the first half, in which the forerunner opens the conclusions without aiming well from outside after a disengagement captured by Depaoli and Hojlund sees a couple of them thwarted, always in play airplane. In the 13th minute, decisive deflection by Cabal on the top spot supported by Maehle, who will later earn the foul by Depaoli, formerly like Tameze who of his own comes out on the inviting ball (punishment rejected and restarted) by the only yellow-blue scorer of the day (25′ ) extending it too much: a good opportunity to try again on Muriel’s scheme in the 37th minute, testing Montipò’s reflexes to remove the cobweb from the low corner. The slow motion yellow it’s Hien’s high and wide elbow (16′) on a local corner that makes the penalty shout right on the contrast with the Danish center forward: the check says that we can continue, the doubt remains.
The engine restarted the Goddess
The other big chance so far is the tracer in full area of Muriel (19)’ in the wake of the combination from the flag with Toloi, blocked in the corner by Djuric, on which Gasperini spends Scalvini decentralizing Djimsiti, usually the titular pivot.
Upon returning from the tunnel, the Venetians are twice as distracted, however, putting two pieces of wood in the final assault. Before the two home goals, a very high attempt by Depaoli (14′) who slams into Maehle’s side (23′) at 3-1 and a loffia by Tameze easily intercepted by Scalvini. In the angry reaction after the third goal, also two sorties by Verdi (25′ and 27′), a corner caused by Toloi’s slide and a high bicycle kick from a cross by substitute Faraoni. Sulemana splinters the crossing (37′) on the second ball given in front by Djimsiti on yet another Verdi solo and Gaich tries to fall on Scalvini’s wrong back pass, overwhelming Sportiello until he takes the base of the post (39′), then the last bulwark guest this time uses his foot in a not improper way to stop Ederson’s bullying entry from the left in the one-two with his defense partner who just made a mistake.
Steamroller Bologna, Cremonese one step away from B
Cremonese now sees Serie B, even if the mathematical sentence is left to the results of Verona and Spezia. It was mandatory to win against Bologna to keep any hope open but Ballardini’s team sinks irreparably against Bologna who find success again after six games of fasting. The 5-1 knockout was very heavy with which the Grigiorossi greet almost all the return to Serie A awaited 26 long years. Bologna takes less than a quarter of an hour to unlock the result. The dribbling and ball possession of Thiago Motta’s team kept the match under control, but did not produce dangerous actions until the flash in the 13th minute which changed the game. Barrow on the left returns on his right foot and launches a strong round shot, but the trajectory is ideal for Arnautovic’s detachment which, with perfect timing, leaves Carnesecchi stunned. Cremonese struggles to get hold of the ball and when it succeeds it is too predictable in managing it and slow in playing it, favoring the doubling of the rossoblù players. In the 26th minute Bologna doubled their lead too easily: corner kick and scrum in the area, the ball caroms against Meité and is picked up by Ferguson who scores from a few steps away. For the Cremonese it becomes really hard to hypothesize a solid comeback and any hope is extinguished in the 46th minute of the first half.
On another corner, empty exit by Carnesecchi e easy header for Posch who scores the third goal with the door open. In the second half, Cremonese played the cards from Ciofani and Buonaiuto and right on a pass from the latter there was a suspicious touch with an arm from Bonifazi in the area: Valeri decreed the penalty for the Grigiorossi but after the call from the Var he canceled the decision because the touch is with the shoulder. There is only time to pick up the game that Bologna drops poker with Orsolini good at sprinting on the offside edge, he discards Carnesecchi on the way out and scores. In the 25th minute another restart from Bologna with Arnautovic who kicks all alone but Carnesecchi deflects for a corner avoiding the fifth goal. In the 28th minute Bologna remained in ten because Orsolini intervened harshly on Vasquez earning the second yellow card of the match. Bologna’s top five, with a victory dedicated to Emilia Romagna, is only postponed to the 35th minute when Barrow extends on the counterattack and serves the newly entered Samson who pierces Carnesecchi diagonally. As soon as the referee Valeri decrees two minutes of added time, Ciofani scores the goal of the grey-red flag only to return to the top of the team’s scoring chart at 37 years old