Milan-Bologna 0-0: Pioli remains first, but what a wasted opportunity

The reach attempt became a reduced two-thirds lead. The comforting +3 on the closest pursuer has turned into a +1 which will take away a few hours of sleep tonight. Of course, Milan remain alone in front of everyone and still remain master of their own destiny, but throw other vital points out of the window against an opponent of lower rank. Damn relapses. A weekend that for Milan was born under the best auspices and as the hours went by it became more and more complicated. First the victories of Napoli and Inter over Atalanta and Juve, then the inability to overcome a Bologna that played with the heart of Mihajlovic, connected from his hospital room, but that objectively has nothing more to ask from the championship. “We believe it”, they shouted from the South curve at the end of the race, but this zero to zero is another result that smells like a lost opportunity. The good news comes from the rear, on the fifth exit in a row without conceding a goal, but up there the Devil makes a tremendous effort to realize the amount of work in the previous meters. A vice already seen this too. Even the charge of the (almost) seventy thousand San Siro fans, including Silvio Berlusconi sitting next to Salvini, was not enough.

THE CHOICES

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Pioli confirmed the formation that dominated in Cagliari, with the exception of Tonali, who took back his place in the median next to Bennacer. At the expense of Kessie (overwhelmed by the boos when reading the formations and entering the field): this time Franck on the bench and behind Giroud confirms for Diaz, flanked by Messias and Leao. The defense lost Romagnoli at the last moment (adductor inflammation), but nothing would have changed anyway: at this moment the central starting couple for Pioli is Kalulu-Tomori. Mihajlovic lost De Silvestri (Dijks in his place, with Hickey hijacked to the right) and recovered Soriano, but the captain did not go beyond the bench: 3-5-2 then, with Aebischer mezzala, Orsolini on the bench and Barrow in support of Arnautovic. Call it the Mihajlovic effect, a catalyst at a distance of tactics and team spirit, but Bologna seemed to have everything except a team capable of lining up only six points in the second round. A Bologna with a serene approach, very well placed on the pitch, which has never given up stinging and with tactically clear ideas, able to tighten the lines when Diaz and Leao tried to get in between. And electric especially on the right flank of Milan, who suffered from the descents of Dijks and the movements of Svanberg, despite a very high profile Bennacer. The Algerian, who came out with tears from being eliminated in the world playoffs, immediately dismissed the Algerian bitterness and was the best of the Rossoneri in the top 45.

TRIDENT POINTED

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The problem is that in front of him the trocar is missing by two thirds. Messias repeatedly hit Dijks and Theate without being able to measure him, while Leao was simply unrecognizable (and how many slips: what shoes did he wear?), Confirming the negative sensations already seen in Cagliari. Evident involutionary phase, and it is not the best given the moment of the season. The blunt trident produced the most logical damage: a bestial effort to arm Giroud and an exaggerated series of crosses from the trocar all very predictable. It was a largely legible Milan, even if the pace has always remained good. Frantic, however, and not lucid. Occasions? On both sides. Hernandez twice as strong, Leao high from an inviting position after a pinball machine in the area, Aebischer terrified San Siro on Arnautovic’s veil, Barrow made Maignan take off from a distance, Calabria wasted a counterbalance on the side of Giroud and Skorupski did at the end a miracle on a French squash.

DEPARTURES

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The recovery began with the most logical change: Messias out, Rebic in, with Leao moved to the right and back on the pitch with much more conviction. After two minutes he started and finished a stubborn personal idea (Skorupski with his foot) and in the quarter of an hour he served Calabria for a right that came out of nothing. A pressure from which Bologna struggled to free themselves and made them lose meters (several) and conviction. The Emilians have practically stopped building, relying almost exclusively on restarts. At half-time Pioli entered Ibra for Giroud and Kessie for Bennacer, Leao sent out a tasty invitation from Zlatan, Milan definitively placed themselves in the rossoblù half, but the fort in front of Skorupski held up until the last of the eight minutes recovery, even in the face of attempts by Ibra and Rebic.