Milan-Roma 2-0: in gol Rebic e Calhanoglu

Milan beat a big for the first time in the season and sink Rome two to zero. The match, therefore, emits a rather clear verdict: the Rossoneri have all the credentials to conquer a place in the sun in the Europa League while for the Giallorossi the Champions League is something increasingly distant. If not arithmetically, at least for what has been seen in San Siro, with a second half delivered almost entirely to the opponents.

30 builds and san siro

—

Milan deservedly won, by virtue of a recovery played with lucidity, aggressiveness and – a determining factor of these times – an athletic outfit that even allowed him to close the challenge a few minutes from the ninetieth. It is however necessary to underline that the Devil had played the previous round on Monday and Roma on Wednesday: two days of difference, with the over 30 degrees Milanese full of heat of the last hours, are several. Pioli recovered Kjaer in defense and then he was able to field the same eleven who beat Lecce in fluency. That is the one with the trident Castillejo-Bonaventura-Calhanoglu behind Rebic. Fonseca instead resorted to a large turnover, changing six (outside Bruno Peres, Ibanez, Kolarov, Diawara, Carles Perez and Pastore, inside Zappacosta, Mancini, Spinazzola, Cristante, Kluivert and Pellegrini) compared to the exit with the Samp.

mirror teams

—

Mirror game systems, with the Giallorossi offensive phase entrusted to Kluivert, Pellegrini and Mkhitaryan behind Dzeko. The first half went by without great emotions. Sensation? More out of fear of finding out than the heat. In reality no one wanted to take more responsibility for the lawful, remaining in the comfort-zone and perhaps trusting in the error of the opponent. Roma managed to disarm the Rossoneri, keeping Hernandez low with Mkhitaryan and drying supplies in Castillejo, but failed to develop constant pressure. In terms of game organization, Roma transmitted better sensations, but we are talking about minimal differences, which led the Giallorossi to really command only in the central part, when for about a quarter of an hour Milan found themselves crushed in front of their area . Donnarumma, however, ran only one, real danger, when a cross by Kluivert soiled by Kessie ended up on the head of Dzeko, who turned to the side very little. On the opposite side, the great occasion happened instead on the head of Calhanoglu, caught by Hernandez, but the Rossoneri, all alone, devoured the goal without being able to lower the ball.

rossoneri better in the second half

—

In the second half Milan were better. Definitely better, practically for all 45. More incisive, with a faster ball turn also thanks to the changes made almost immediately (9 ‘) by Pioli: inside Paquetà and Saelemaekers instead of Bonaventura and Castillejo (while Fonseca inserted first Carles Perez for Kluivert, then Perotti for Mkhitaryan and Kalinic for Dzeko). The dangers were practically all for Rome. Within a couple of minutes – between 20 ‘and 22’ – first it was Calhanoglu who committed Mirante very seriously, then Paquetà tried with an insidious right. The inertia of the match remained the same until the 31st minute of the goal: Zappacosta’s mistake that triggered Rebic, the Croatian waited for his teammates to go up and AC Milan went into the hole ranging from one side to the other. Paquetà crossed on the opposite side for Saelemaekers, who served Kessie: stunt saved by Mirante and ball on Rebic’s feet (unmarked), who was first walled by the Giallorossi goalkeeper and then went into the hole.

calha closes it

—

Roma attempted a reaction, mostly from the belly, without being able to bring dangers to Donnarumma, and a few minutes from the expiration the match ended definitively: Smalling’s broken entrance on Hernandez in the area and penalty converted by Calhanoglu. Closing the challenge on the attack and a few laps of the clock from the final whistle is perhaps the best news of the day at the Rossoneri.