The Rossoneri come out on top! Lead by Rafael Leão’s brilliance, AC Milan defeat their arch-rivals, Inter Milan, 3-2 to put a two-point gap between the Milan giants.
The, arguably, biggest game in all of Italian Football has thankfully become revitalized, especially with the reemergence of AC Milan as a true Italian powerhouse again. For so many years, mismanagement and poor transfer acquisitions has doomed AC Milan to mid-table and Europa League finishes while their arch-rivals, Inter Milan and Juventus, won titles and Champions League glory.
But, for the first time in eleven years, AC Milan won the Serie A title last season, breaking the monopoly Juve and Inter had over the league.
However, going back to the game today, Inter Milan sought to reclaim their glory and win their first match over Milan in the league since February 20th, 2021.
And they got off to the best possible start as, on the 20′ mark, Lautaro Martinez masterfully held off Milan’s Pierre Kalulu right on the halfway line and slipped a simple sqaure pass to Joaquín Correa, who in term sent a magnificent through ball through the entire Milan defense for an advancing Marcelo Brozovic, who easily dispatched it past AC Milan’s Mike Maignan to give Inter the 1-0 lead.
I’m not sure how Kalulu, Milan’s right fullback, ended up having to guard Martinez right in the middle of the park, but I do know that goal was purely down to AC Milan’s high defensive line.
It’s great to see when a defense can match an opposing attack for speed and acceleration, allowing their forwards and midfielders to press higher up the field and push the opposing team deeper into their own half, but said defense needs to be extremely organized to pull off such a risky defensive philosophy.
When they aren’t, Brozovic’s one vs. one goal is the result.
Anyway, Milan was not behind for long as only seven minutes later, Sandro Tonali intercepted a wayward pass from the former-Milan-now-Inter midfielder, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, then dished the ball over to Rafael Leão, who buried an impressive weak foot strike into the Inter goal.
I don’t know what Çalhanoğlu was thinking with that pass as he was under no threat from a Milan player, and just needed to push the ball up the field, rather than spraying a wild, cross-field ball that landed right in Tonali’s path.
I guess that’s the luck he’s going to have nowadays, considering he is the unluckiest man in Milan right now. Not only did he miss out on winning the title in his last season with AC Milan (2020-21) (Inter finished 1st, Milan 2nd), but he also missed out on the title last season with Inter too (Milan finished 1st, Inter 2nd).
He must be a bad luck charm for whichever Milan side he’s playing for, considering he inadvertently he set up AC Milan’s comeback today.
Still, Oliver Giroud and Charles De Ketelaere had a few half chances for Milan before the break, but neither went in as Milan and Inter went into halftime tied 1-1.
Nonetheless, that second half might as well have been called the ‘Rafael Leão Half’ as the Portuguese star came out and dominated Inter Milan.
Starting in the 53′, Leão picked up the ball by the sidelines, dribbled to Inter’s left corner flag, and sent in a cross that beat two Inter players on its way in finding Oliver Giroud, who buried his shot past Samir Handanović. Then, only six minutes later, Leão brought down a delicate cushion pass from Giroud, dribbled through THREE Inter defenders and slide the ball past Handanović again to put Milan up 3-1.
I’m sure you can imagine the utter uproar the San Siro went into as Laeo and his Milan teammates celebrated in front of the Rossoneri fans. I was nearly on my feet clapping for Leão too. That’s how good that goal was.
If Leão isn’t picked up by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man United, Man City, Chelsea, or PSG in the next few seasons, I’d be completely shocked.
He’s almost single-handedly won Milan the title last season and won them the game today. At only 23 years old, he’s becoming a global superstar before our very eyes.
Anyhow, Inter put a great fight after Leão’s goal by peppering Maignan’s goal, and even halving the deficit with Edin Dzeko’s goal on the 66′. But it was too little, too late. Inter were unable to overcome the hole Leão put them in as they lost yet another match to Milan in Serie A.
It’s still early in the season, and Milan and Inter are still going to be the two teams deciding the title, but this game might just give the edge to Milan in the race. Serie A only came down to two points last season, and with AC Milan now up by two points over Inter, that same tally may decide who wins the prestigious Italian league title again.
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