Rossoneri deluded by the Spaniard’s goal, then many wasted opportunities in the second half. Conceiçao hits the first goal at San Siro and is fooled by Zortea’s goal, facilitated by the Frenchman’s duck
Some mistakes don’t end, they go around immensely (well, not even that much) and then come back. This year, never take Milan for granted, because it is an exercise in pure illusion. The coaches change, the roster gets bigger, but a certain type of problem remains, resists and weighs down the rankings once again. This draw with Cagliari is as cold as the night at San Siro because it ruins the magnificent sensations of Riyadh and because it leaves the Devil with yet another wasted opportunity to gnaw away points in the Champions League: the draws between Lazio and Juve should have been sanctified and instead the distances remain unchanged. But if Milan can’t win at home (only one success in their last six league outings at the Meazza) against the third-to-last team, then when can they do it? Conceiçao’s debut in the championship on the Rossoneri bench is bitter, forced to observe the same ugliness as the previous version: capital errors in front of goal and embarrassing opponent counterattacks. Cagliari this year is particularly bitter for the Rossoneri: the exploits in Madrid and Riyadh were followed by two sad draws against the Sardinians, who won a golden point for survival and gave continuity after the victory in Monza.
the choices
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Conceiçao did not deny the hypotheses of the day before, namely Calabria (no armband, left on Maignan’s arm), Tomori and Thiaw centrally, Musah in midfield with Fofana, Reijnders behind Morata and the return of Leao from the first minute. Okafor, betrothed to Leipzig, not called up (like Rashford in Manchester). Nicola preferred Adopo to Deiola, Viola to Gaetano and Felici to Augello. Attack entrusted to Piccoli and debut in goal for the new arrival Caprile, who in the first twenty minutes remained with his head under water without ever taking a breath in front of a very high and ferocious Milan in all possible nuances: in the pressure, in the doubling , on second balls. Cagliari must be given credit for having gathered – forced to do so, more than anything else – in a short handkerchief and with very few drafts, but for over half of the first round the attacking phase was completely lacking. Milan built a cage in the middle of the pitch with Musah, Fofana and Reijnders, quick to strengthen the midfield when not in possession, which killed any Sardinian ambition in the cradle. Adopo and Makoumbou ended up in the Rossoneri web and the outlets in the preferred lane, the right, arrived slowly.
where is Rafa?
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Twenty minutes of Rossoneri monologue, we were saying. The most obvious news? A finally fast ball movement, a team with a lively and mentally charged appearance, which sought both breadth and depth, in some cases handing the advanced direction in the central lands to Leao. We will need to work on it further but, beyond the position, for Rafa a substantial step back compared to the bubbles of Riyadh. The Devil moved the ball quickly, but lacked concreteness and one might think that it may have happened due to an excess of self-satisfaction after the Arab exploits. Sensational paradox: the team that was afraid of its own shadow became a group in search of aesthetics. A pleasure for the eyes which therefore did not produce a proportional offensive performance, also due to excessive hastiness in the choices of the last thirty meters: Theo just over (14′), a left by Pulisic (18′) and a right by Reijnders (19′) blocked with a hint of trouble by Caprile. A strange script, also because up to that point the only real scoring opportunity had ended up at Viola’s feet (6′). Around the 25th minute the Rossoneri lost propulsion, decreasing the turnover and allowing Cagliari to put their noses out. Thanks above all to Adopo, who brought the team up several meters and freed Zortea’s run several times, even if the clearest opportunity came on the opposite side: a right-footed shot masterfully executed by Felici with an equally masterful flight by Maignan .
mike’s mistake
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Milan tried to start the second half as they had approached the first half and the script worked. General rehearsal in the 47th minute with a crossbar by Pulisic and the match uncorked four minutes later with Morata, quick to anticipate Palomino after a pinball between Caprile and the post on a volley by Pulisic. What seemed like a downhill road, however, immediately turned into a bumpy path: the Rossoneri, installed in the Sardinian half of the field in search of the knockout blow, lost the ball (Fofana badly) and conceded a goal on a four-on-three restart. Football blasphemy, some vices die hard. Goal scored by Zortea and kindly facilitated by Maignan, who lay awkwardly on the unpretentious right foot of the rossoblù winger. On the hour mark, Abraham (Musah) and Jimenez (Calabria) were brought in, but Milan continued to hit the Sardinian wall, also because the Devil began to pour an industrial quantity of slow and legible crosses into the area. These, too, have already been seen. Caprile did the rest but above all the Rossoneri’s wickedness in front of goal: first Pulisic and then Abraham, face to face with the rossoblù goalkeeper, allowed themselves to be hypnotized. Two serious errors, especially the English one. The last gasp was a torpedo from Hernandez’s free kick at the end, blocked by Caprile. Then, curtain and some whistles from the stands.
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