To keep their hopes of qualifying alive, the Devil must score points in the next two matches against PSG. The Rossoneri will reunite with their former baby prodigy, he will see seven former teammates again. And San Siro is preparing…
Revenge – because this is what it would be about in the eyes of the Rossoneri fans – is known to be served cold. All that remains is to understand whether two years and three months can be included in the case study but, if in doubt, the AC Milan fans are preparing for the double challenge with Donnarumma. In reality, Gigio would have been the target to be filled with disdain – euphemism – regardless. Now, however, there are no longer just “personal” reasons on the part of those who have felt deeply betrayed. There is much more concrete stuff involved, namely Milan’s future path in this Champions League. Because it is clear that after two draws in the first two games – yes, of course, okay, it could easily be six points if there wasn’t a competition up front to see who makes the most mistakes, but there are only two left -, the next two games will be decisive . It will be necessary to score points (Pioli predicts ten to reach the round of 16, so eight would be missing) and those points will also have to arrive against PSG. Went to Paris on 25 October, return to San Siro on 7 November: the former Rossoneri child prodigy will need to score goals.
past
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It’s the wheel of football that turns inexorably and sooner or later forces a player to face his past. In Gigio’s case, all in all two years is a short time if we think about the chances that there were for PSG and Milan to finish in the same group. Last night on the social networks of Rossoneri fans there were images of Newcastle’s third goal, in which the goalkeeper appears far from flawless, but nevertheless amidst a good individual performance. However, the team performance was decidedly worse, the PSG of stars and millions by the truckload buried with goals by an opponent drawn from the urn in the fourth tier. As often happens, since Donnarumma moved to Paris, the errors have been particularly amplified, rather than the good things underlined. Also because, net of various slights, some of them serious – in the last Champions League against Real, for example -, Gigio’s balance under the Eiffel Tower remains basically positive. However, it was part of a complicated experience, both because leaving Milanello was something completely new for him, and because the farewell arrangements had developed as we all know: in the worst possible way.
spotlight
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To all this we must add, after the penalty saved by Saka which earned him a European Championship, some not exactly crystal clear performances in blue. Donnarumma will probably never go unnoticed – for better or for worse – throughout his career, but now the spotlight on him will become particularly powerful as the double match against Milan approaches. Obviously it is a first, while returning to San Siro, already frequented in the blue shirt and where Gigio had a (small) appetizer of the climate he will find on November 7th, will not be. The fans, starting from the curve, have already made it abundantly clear the difference in treatment they will reserve for him and that dedicated to Tonali (applause and chants from every corner of the Meazza): for the Rossoneri people Sandro has also thought of the interests of the club, Gigio only to himself.
comfort zone
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Maignan’s arrival, with its powerful impact on the Rossoneri world, immediately erased the shock of the separation from Donnarumma. “Milan are a very strong team, it won’t be easy to face them – said the goalkeeper a few days ago -. I spent many years with the Rossoneri and it was difficult to leave Milan. The first months in Paris were a bit tough, I left out of my comfort zone. Now I’m settling in, I’m learning the language and it’s going well.” Gigio will find Calabria, Kalulu, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez, Krunic and Leao against Milan. The others are all new, but each of them will try to put the ball in his goal. Milan needs to win at least one of the two matches against the Parisians, and to do so they will have to overcome a pillar of their recent past. A large portion of the Champions League round of 16, in some way, will pass through Gigio.
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