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?
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| Two goals scored, and nothing stolen from us by the refs? Madness. |
An action packed match from start to finish, Cremonese fought for every opportunity, and Milan fought right back. Pulisic was down with a knock almost immediately, then target practice started. Vanderputte, Vardy, Maleh, Thorsby attempts on Milan's goal, while Leão, Bartesaghi, Modrić, and Pulisic all took their chances for Milan. There was a moment when Pavlović was hit in the face by Vardy with no call from Massa, but the following minute, Rabiot came in with a strong challenge and was also spared a card. Somehow, Massa was actually doing well. The half closed out with a Fofana shot on target, saved by Audero. Yes, you read that correctly. Fofana shot on target. What is this madness?
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| Saelemaekers got a lot of harsh attention this week, but it is the week before the Derby. |
What happened in the 47th minute has been talked about a lot since this match, as Saelemaekers went down. Many, including my otherwise excellent commentator, accused Saelemaekers of diving. But, (and we would have seen this if they had appropriately had a VAR review and shown us the different angles at the time,) he was both shoved and clipped from behind by Pezzella. If anything, Cremonese were incredibly lucky to not have a yellow card or worse.
However, it was Inter-taining to see the slimeballs on social media react to this. Even noted Inter-friendly journalists had their tweets community-noted for saying that Saelemaekers dove, and Inter fans, who dared compare Saelemaekers actually being fouled to Bastoni's disgusting dive and worse sportsmanship vs. Juventus a few weeks ago, were mocked incessantly by Milan fans with photographic evidence of the contact from Pezzella.
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| Our badass young fullback was brilliant again... before he was forced off with injury late in the match. |
The second half continued similarly to the first, with more quality shots rather than quantity. In the 62nd minute, Allegri sent Ricci on for Rabiot, and Füllkrug on for Saelemaekers. After a few very dangerous plays from Leão and also one from Füllkrug, our Milan-owned-with-obligation-to-buy Filippo Terracciano earned himself a yellow card attempting to stop Leão. Then Allegri sent Nkunku on for Pulisic and Athekame to replace Tomori.
Unfortunately, Cremonese's shots were getting dangerously closer as well, with Maignan coming up with a big save on Luperto in the 80th minute. Bartesaghi made the ultimate sacrifice when he took a hit from the ball point blank to a very sensitive area, and needed a couple of moments to regain composure from the very obviously painful impact. Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse for him, though, when almost ten minutes later, he pulled up with a muscle issue, and Allegri substituted Estupiñan on for him.
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| A very proud Player of the Match. |
After all of this action, 15 shots with three on target from Cremonese, and Milan with 18 shots and four on target at this point, Pavlović scored with his face in the 90th minute. 1-0 Milan. Ecstasy erupted from the Milan players, and the incredibly vocal traveling Milan supporters.There were some worrying moments as VAR reviewed the play for a potential handball on Pavlović, but not even Guida in the VAR booth would take this from us. I can only imagine they were given some very explicit orders not to make any more controversy agains Milan in this match. Pavlović's performance earned him the Serie A Player of the Match award, as well as being voted Milan's MVP.
And it didn't stop there. With Milan's 20th shot, Leão took a very unselfish pass from Nkunku and sent it past Audero to double the score. 2-0 Milan. Zero questions about that one, just celebrations, which continued after the final whistle. Pavlović could be seen singing along with the traveling members of the Curva Sud as the players greeted the fans postmatch, he would die for Milan.
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| Yes, it was like that. |
Luckily, though, no one was asked to die for Milan in this match. Bartesaghi's new injury is concerning, especially ahead of the Derby, but Allegri managed the other players well and although it took all the way until the 90th minute to break through, Milan did control the match. Bur more importantly, no refereeing or VAR incidents stole anything from the 2-0 victory and a much needed three points going into the Derby on Sunday. I almost don't know how to feel, the Serie A bar of "no egregious refereeing errors changed the outcome of this match" is so low. What is this madness?
Milan Primavera Fall 1-0 in Rome
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| A picture is worth a thousand words (and a loss of another three points.) |
In the second matchup of the season of Milan Primavera vs. their former manager, Guidi's Roma Primavera, once again, Guidi's boys proved victorious. Sunday's match was the first of the Milan triple header, but top of the table Roma Primavera won 1-0 after their Morucci capitalized on a rebound following Bouyer's great initial save near the end of the first half. Despite their most valiant efforts, which provided few real chances over the 90 minutes, Renna's Milan Primavera came up empty-handed, having won their previous two matches. Brief highlights are available.
Just to review, Milan had Abate, with whom they went to an historic UEFA Youth League Semifinal, then Final the following year. But Ibrahimović let his contract run out without renewing him because Abate would not play his son, Maximilian at that point. Then Milan went out and grabbed Guidi, one of the best, if not the best, youth coaches from Roma. But clearly, something scared him off, too, as he left and went back to Roma. And now we have Mister Renna, who has not been able to achieve anything remotely close to the results of his predecessors. But, that's the RedBird Project in a nutshell.
Milan Futuro Draw 1-1 with Top of the Group Folgore Caratese
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| Defender Vladimirov celebrates scoring his very first goal for Milan Futuro. |
Keeping with the theme of playing the top of the table teams, Milan Futuro also faced their Group B leaders, and the 1-1 draw vs. Folgore Caratese was seen as a largely positive result. It is noteworthy that Milan Futuro were undefeated against the league leaders both at home and away this season, as well. In what appeard to be more of an MMA match than a football match, Biondini took the lead for the visitors in just the 38th minute.
After halftime, there was even more focus from Milan Futuro, and it paid off. In the 59th minutr, Vladimirove levelled the score with his first Futuro goal. 1-1 all. With their increased focus and intensity in the second half, Milan Futuro looked as though perhaps they would get the winner, but it was not to be. Brief highlights of the match are available. This draw saw them drop from third to fifth place in Group B, but in context, with 42 points, they are just one point behind the three teams who occupy second-fourth places, all on 43 points.
Cremonese Primavera Are "the Death" of Milan Primavera at Home
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| The picture absolutely sums up this match. |
Milan Primavera were expecting a result in this match, but instead suffered a 2-0 defeat at home from bottom of the table Cremonese Primavera. And to make matters worse, the second goal came from a Milan player who was given to Cesena on a free transfer, my former favorite youth player, Alessandro Lamorte ("La morte" in Italian is literally "the death.") After their captain, Grashi, struck in stoppage time before the half, Lamorte sealed Milan's fate with his goal in the 52nd minute.
The Primavera created very few chances in the first half, but being down a goal, came back stronger in the second half. Bouyer was the real hero, though, as he was tested again and again from the bottom of the table side, even if he still conceded two goals. Scotti saw his excellent free kick denied, and a couple of other chances from Asanji and Ossola went just wide. In the end, the second half chances were not converted, and Milan Primavera lost their second match of the week. Brief highlights are available. They will face Cesena on Monday.