Chelsea-Milan 3-0: Pioli collapses in London

Nothing is lost, but this time Milan got lost. In Group E, everything is still in play – four teams in a two-point gap – but “game” is definitely not the best word for the Devil. Virtually nothing worked: offensive phase nonexistent, apart from a couple of furious drifting by Leao, and horror film defensive phase on all three English goals (Fofana, Aubameyang and James). But, also, difference in pace and approach to the game, under the eyes of Cardinal and Gordon Singer: Chelsea with the hunger and desperation of those who had only one point in the safe, Milan with the need to escape unscathed from Stamford Bridge without eight injured. It is the usual speech: if in Italy certain companies succeed – and it is a great merit – it is a script that cannot be replicated in the Champions League. However, the part relating to the infirmary cannot be classified as a simple note: showing up at this stage without Maignan, Calabria, Florenzi, Kjaer, Hernandez, Saelemaekers, Messias and Ibrahimovic makes everything damn complicated. Never as this time the climb was at the limit of the prohibitive. Milan know the first defeat in the group, but the ranking says Salzburg 5, Chelsea and Milan 4, Dinamo Zagreb 3. They are all there. The important thing will be to have clearer ideas and find the ferocity in a week at San Siro.

The choices

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Potter opted for a 3-4-2-1 and compared to forecasts gave birth to only one real novelty: out of Jorginho, trust Loftus-Cheek. In defense Koulibaly (who with Potter had not yet seen the field) preferred to Cucurella. Attack entrusted to Aubameyang, with Sterling and Mount a few meters behind. Pioli instead confirmed all the hypotheses, and on the other hand it is not that he had great alternatives. So, space for the right-wing chain that came to life in the Empoli emergency with Dest low and Krunic on the trocar. On the left, in place of Hernandez who has targeted Juve, the very excited Ballo-Touré. Then, the usual suspects: De Ketelaere behind Giroud, Leao on the left, Bennacer captain and Tonali in the middle. If anything, the problem was the material on the bench: of the nine reservists, two goalkeepers and two Primavera players. Milan started with a confidence that comforted the soul. Correct ball turn, no fear in front of Stamford Bridge or even in the face of Sterling’s cuts and the insistent insertions of Loftus-Cheek. Without overdoing it and without complicating Kepa’s evening, but still a mature management of the match for a quarter of an hour, which complicated the plans of the blues. A single ring for the British, with a rather wicked right-footed turn from Mount that Tatarusanu put in a corner. Non-trivial parade.

No reaction

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The problems started close to the goal. Because persevering is diabolical, yet Milan managed to hit Thiago Silva, all alone, three times in a row on as many corners within two minutes. Soft and slow trajectories, understandable, but that the Rossoneri have never been able to read. And on the third attempt Chelsea passed: Thiago got wet, Tatarusanu saved, scrambled and rebounded in the area with the winning ball on Fofana’s foot. Two minutes of horrendous defensive phase for the Devil. The problem is that from then on the blues have completely taken over the game. Rossoneri reaction not received, on the contrary: many, too many errors in support and exit, with Tonali and Bennacer often suffocated by Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek (Sandro in particular was often forced to play the added defender), Dest and Ballo-Touré timid and worried, and De Ketelaere in a super soft version again: even if the feet are refined, you can’t always play in slippers. The balls must be protected and managed with ferocity. In other words, AC Milan only managed to trigger Leao sporadically and it was the most evident difficulty because when Rafa was able to start at speed he gave the English the chills. At half an hour Kalulu blocked a goal almost scored by Mount, which the Dutch Makkelie then canceled a goal for offside. Not a trivial note: after 42 minutes Milan found themselves with Krunic, Ballo-Touré and Tomori booked. And, in the quarter of recovery, all with their hands in their hair for a double court martial mistake. Fantastic descent of Leao, who skidded in the face of three Englishmen and served De Ketelaere: the Belgian however, without opponents on him, produced a caress in Kepa’s arms and then Krunic on the rebound was not timely enough to enter the door blue. A crime not to have taken advantage of it.

Bad figure

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It could have been a shock, or perhaps an important alert for Chelsea, which instead returned to the field in the second half even more convinced. And – a sensation from the outside – Milan gave the idea of ​​being a bit tired, in addition to the inability to keep up with the English movements. More and more incisive, more and more insightful. The Blues have ramped up. At 11 ‘another horrible defensive phase with James left all free to cross and Tomori’s sensational smooth in the center of the area: Aubameyang thanked and kicked a stone’s throw from the door. Six minutes later Kalulu ended up in the black book of errors, putting the ball on the English feet until the trigger for James’ torpedo. Three to zero and a bad figure for the Devil, mostly due to the inability to bring danger to the opponent’s goal. At 20 ‘Pioli inserted Rebic for De Ketelaere and Gabbia for Krunic, passing to a 3-4-3 which, however, had no effect. Chelsea have never been seriously troubled and at a certain point Pioli – wisely given the result – also took Leao away from the scene. Because the second round with Chelsea will come as early as next Tuesday, but Juve will show up first at the San Siro.