Milan-Torino Preview: No Room for Error

Allegri puts on his creepy smile in front of the press and tells everyone that everything is okay, but Leao's anger during and after the loss to Lazio said more than any of the Mister's calculated words ever could. Tensions are high, too much has been asked of certain players, and the team are not nearly as united as Allegri would have us believe. So many people have been speculating about the title race that they have forgotten to look in the rear view mirror, and that battle for top four is coming for us. Fast. As Milan are set to host Torino at the San Siro on Saturday evening, they need to pull together and find a way to return to winning ways, because there is no room for error.

That smile... the false bravado... now it's time to do that thing where he drags the team to qualification.

Lazio 1, Milan 0: No.

Going into this match, there were a lot of expectations. After losing the Derby, Inter had dropped two points, giving Milan an unexpected opportunity to gain five points on the league leaders within eight days. Would Milan be able to insert themselves back into the title race like this? Could they pull off a win without the suspended Rabiot? Would Estupiñan be able to follow up his Derby heroics? Would Milan's defense remain strong, despite recent injuries? Would referees ruin yet another match and cause us to lose more points? Would Milan show up when it mattered most? With a 1-0 loss to Lazio away at the Stadio Olimpico, the answer to all of these questions was a resounding NO.

Are the team actually united? Apparently that answer is also NO.

Lazio-Milan Preview: When It Matters Most

Allegri has said all season that our position on the table did not matter until March. After being robbed of three points vs. Parma three weeks ago, Milan made statement wins vs. Cremonese and then obviously the Derby vs. Inter last week. Now we are away to Lazio, and there is the potential for any little thing to mess up our ultra boring, super defensive, slow roll to the finish line. For one, the referees, obviously, who remain the story line of this season. Secondly, Daniel Maldini, who was treated poorly by Milan, and also has a history of scoring against us. And, as if that wasn't enough, there are so many other things that could go wrong, such as silly mistakes, injuries, and more. So Milan will need to have a perfect game, and also hope that the stars align, because now this is when it matters most.

Time to see if this team can beat the refs and the odds (as well as Lazio)

AC Milan 1, Inter 0: Never Bet Against Milan

On Sunday, Milan dispensed with Derby rivals Inter 1-0, with Estupiñan becoming an unlikely Derby hero. However, a lovely story emerged afterward from a journalist that demonstrated that Estupiñan's goal was not a fluke, but the result of belief in him from coaches and staff on down. The journalist shared that he was asking Allegri's assistant, Landucci, about Estupiñan as they were leaving the stadium the week before after the Cremonese win. Landucci was so sure that Estupiñan was more than ready for Dumfries and Henrique's Inter, that he was willing to bet a pizza on it. Well, that pizza is going to taste even better after Milan won their second consecutive Derby, but Landucci has to be most proud of a player like Estupiñan, who has worked and waited all season for a night like this. And I think the journalist learned an important lesson, as well: never bet against this Milan.

Even with the most unlikely heroes, this Milan can never be counted out.

AC Milan vs. Inter Preview: Keeping Them Honest

The Derby della Madonnina is always a fiery affair. However, with Inter always whining and cheating, it makes it that much more triggering for Milan fans, particularly since Inter got away with murder during Calciopoli (okay, I don't have any evidence of the murder part, it's just a colloquial phrase. But it could have happened.) But this year, the refereeing has been so blatant, in-your-face, egregious, and some other adjectives that haven't even been made up, but will be someday specifically for the scum-sucking lowlife crosstown team, Inter Milan. They are not even trying to hide it. So the very least Milan can do is play so well, the referees will have have absolutely nothing to favor Inter with. "Honest" is an incredibly loose term when it comes to the Nerazzurri, but Milan will be doing their best to keep Inter (and their referee employees) honest.

Maignan kept them honest in the last Derby with his penalty save on the Turkish Traitor™.

Cremonese 0, Milan 2: What Is This Madness?

After staying up to watch a match at 3:30am my time, and managing the overlapping Primavera match that started 90 minutes prior and the Futuro match that began immediately after, at the final whistle of the first team's match, I was left with a feeling I did not recognize. I was at peace, I was happy, and there was no rage flowing through my veins about egregious refereeing injustices. I mean, I am used to winning, this 2-0 victory away to Cremonese was our 16th league win this season. But even with two of the referees who are known for making huge blunders working as our head ref and VAR ref, there was no huge controversy, no blatant robbery, no grave injustice. What is this madness?

Two goals scored, and nothing stolen from us by the refs? Madness.