The Monday Scratch

Anatomy of a suicide. Milan also loses to Atalanta. Now they risk the Champions League

by Dario Ceccarelli

 ANSA

6' min read

Translated by AI
Versione italiana

6' min read

Translated by AI
Versione italiana

Anatomy of a collective suicide. Of an endless fall into the abyss. By now, Milan's umpteenth crash, beaten 3-2 at the San Siro by Atalanta, even overshadows Inter's fresh Scudetto, as shiny and undisputed as you like, but all in all easily framed by normal footballing logic.

The Rossoneri's collapse (four defeats and only one win in the last six games), on the other hand, has something inexplicable, absurd and indecipherable about it. Until a month and a half ago, after beating Inter in the derby, Milan were still in the running for the Scudetto ahead of Napoli. Now, with two days to go, it risks losing the Champions League too. Overtaken by Juve, and joined in fourth place by Roma (victorious in Parma), the Diavolo is the weakest competitor in the race for Europe.

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It is true that it would be enough for them to score six points against Genoa and Cagliari, but this group, booed and protested by its fans, who left the San Siro after Atalanta's third goal, seems to have completely lost its bearings. It no longer knows how to win with anyone. A dismasted sailing ship at the mercy of the current. Even a pillar like Maignan no longer gives any guarantees. Atalanta, who were also coming from a critical period, until the 3-0, ran on the rubble of Milan, of which only a splintered post by Rabiot and a few individual tricks are remembered at the start. Few ideas and much confusion. And after Emerson's first goal, only the Dea was seen on the pitch, again in the net with Zappacosta and finally with Raspadori, good at beating Maignan, who was more and more in trouble like the whole Rossoneri defence.

Only in the final minutes did the Rossoneri have a surge of pride: first with a dunk by Pavlovic, one of the few who did not give up. Then Nkunku doubled the score on a penalty kick. In the second half, Fullkrug came close to equalising, but it would not have been fair. There was a very heavy protest, directed above all towards the managing director Giorgio Furlani and the top management of the company, guilty, according to the fans, of wrong investments and unsuccessful choices such as that of having sent away Paolo Maldini, continually evoked in the chants.

Allegri himself, who has completely reshuffled the team, can no longer make mistakes. Losing Europe is the equivalent of losing almost 100 million and the coach from Livorno had only one mandate this year: to get Milan back into the Champions League. Perhaps with a short face. But this Milan, apart from scoring in droves, scores an industrial quantity of goals: nine in the last six games. So much for short-facedness. All this while the rivals, Juve, Roma and Como themselves have scored and won again. Como itself, sixth, two points behind Roma and Milan, already has one foot in Europe. Seven years ago it was in Serie D. Now it has this poor Diavolo in its sights.

Parma-Roma 2-3. That football is an unfathomable mystery, driven by mysterious forces, is demonstrated by this success in extremis by Gasperini's team, capable of going from dust to the altar (from 1-2 to 3-2) in three minutes during a very long white-hot recovery. It was difficult to give an objective assessment because Roma, after dominating in the first half (Malen's goal on a penalty 22 minutes in) had been overturned by the Emilians who scored through Strefezza (47 minutes) and Keita (87 minutes). But in the final minutes, when Parma were convinced they'd got away with it, Roma were saved by Devyne Rensch, a 23-year-old Dutch defender who first earned the equaliser and immediately afterwards put his hand to the winning penalty, taken by Malen in the 101st minute. It was also quite an incredible game for Malen, who in addition to scoring two penalties, however, missed two goals that were already done. In the meantime, however, Roma, with the force of desperation, hooked Milan into fourth place.

Verona-Como 0-1. Be that as it may, Fabregas' team goes to Europe. Beating a non-wavering Verona, they won three precious points that allow them to secure sixth place and thus participation in a European Cup. The goal for the Larians came in the 71st minute with Douvikas, who scored his 13th goal of the season with a right-footed shot. Verona reacted but Bowie's equalizer, three minutes later, was annulled for offside after the Var intervention.

Lazio-Inter 0-3. Waiting for a probable "double", Chivu's team skates in fluency at the Olimpico against a Lazio evidently already projected with head and legs towards the next final of the Coppa Italia. At least that is what the Bianco Celestial fans hoped, that it was a Lazio in disguise to give their best on Wednesday night: otherwise there will be trouble for Sarri because Inter, with this 3-0, made it clear that they are not joking and that the Scudetto is not enough for them. In the Nerazzurri's ranks, Lautaro made a powerful comeback, scoring after six minutes plus an assist for Susic in the 39th minute. In Lazio, to complete the omelette, Romagnoli was sent off for an unnecessary and dangerous intervention on Bonny. One wonders why more and more often defenders make these clumsy fouls, far from the area and therefore easily avoidable. There is no answer. Or, the more pessimistic one, is that defenders no longer know how to do their job.

Lecce-Juventus 0-1. There is little to be said when a centre forward, after just 12 seconds, as Vlahovic did, immediately scores. That's half the battle. Spalletti's Bianconeri, against a less than explosive Lecce, then managed to complicate their lives by not closing out the game. There were some improvements, however, considering that the Serbian and Kalulu had two goals cancelled out for offside. The Salentini really engaged Di Gregorio once, but the Bianconeri goalkeeper was not unprepared. For Juve three important points that take them to third place (68) ahead of AC Milan and Roma (67)

With Vlahovic, however, Juve are a different matter. The Serbian striker gives weight and depth to a team that before, during the 161 days of his absence, made a lot of smoke and little fire. True, Vlahovic sometimes wastes golden chances, but he builds a lot of them. To sell him, with what talented strikers cost, would be madness.

Cagliari-Udinese 0-2. But how strong is this Udinese now at 50? There is a lot of talk about Como, but little about the Friulians, who are completing a magnificent championship. On an afternoon where Cagliari postponed their salvation celebration, a probable episode of racism must be reported, even if the versions of the protagonists are contrasting. According to Kenian Davis, a Friulian forward who came on in the second half, Cagliari defender Alberto Dossena, allegedly called him a monkey, plus other unpleasant insults. Dossena, in a statement, denied everything, saying that he would never do such a thing. Clearly, if it were true, the Cagliari defender would risk a disqualification of at least ten days because the rules, in these cases, are very strict. Now the word passes to sporting justice. Everything will depend on the reports of the federal inspectors and the report of referee Dionisi, who was not exactly on the ball at the time. Leaving aside the different versions (but it is very strange that Davis invented this farce out of thin air), football as usual does not come out well.

Cremonese-Pisa 3-0. It took the Pisans, and a rediscovered Vardy, to bring the grigiorossi back to a victory that had been missing since 21st March. The Englishman was decisive, first unblocking the match and then starting the action that led to Bonazzoli's 2-0. Three precious points but not enough. Now Cremonese are one point behind Lecce. In the next two matches, if they still want to hope, Giampaolo's team must always win, which is not easy, having to meet first Udinese and then Como. Meanwhile, Pisa continues its precipice towards the B. And precipitates in the worst way, with two bad expulsions for unacceptable rapture

Fiorentina -Genoa 0-0. What a heartbreak this match is! Which serves the Viola to mathematically conquer salvation and the guests to spend a quiet Sunday as if it were a training session. "Fate ridere" admonishes the curve of the Franchi in the final. A harsh protest that saves no one. A sad and embarrassing Sunday. But the Fiorentina fans would perhaps do better to see the glass half full: that is, having avoided Serie B. With this moonlight it's already a lot. Poor Vanoli, at least he put his soul into it, and nobody thanks him.

Today Napoli - Bologna (20.45)

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