Updated18. February 2024, 23:22
Football: Noah Okafor and AC Milan sink at Monza
The Rossoneri, with their Swiss winger starting in a reshuffled team, lost for the first time in Serie A since the start of December.
Noah Okafor started a meeting for the first time in two months, without being convincing.
Imago
AC Milan missed the opportunity to dislodge Juventus Turin from 2nd place in the Italian Championship standings, losing at Monza (2-4) on Sunday at the end of the 25th day. In anticipation of the return play-off to reach the round of 16 of the Europa League in Rennes on Thursday, Milan – 3-0 winner in the first leg – started the match without their executives Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud, spared.
In this second configuration which benefited Noah Okafor (started at kick-off for the first time since December 17 and replaced at half-time), the Lombard club experienced a nightmarish first 60 minutes. He conceded two goals, including one from the penalty spot after a rash tackle by Malick Thiaw at the end of the first period (45th and 45+6th), then found himself outnumbered after the exclusion of Luka Jovic for hitting a player from Monza (54th). So much so that Milan coach Stefano Pioli had to start Leao, Pulisic and Giroud.
The top scorer in the history of the France team, served by Pulisic, quickly revived his team with his 12th goal of the season (64th). Pulisic thought he would offer his team a long-unexpected point by equalizing (88th). But the young Frenchman Warren Bondo gave Monza the advantage again with a superb 20-metre recovery (90th), then Lorenzo Colombo added a fourth goal in added time.
AC Milan, which remained in 9 matches without defeat (7 wins and 2 draws) remains 3rd (52 points), 2 points behind Juventus and far from the leader, Inter (63 points).
AS Roma wins, Lazio stumbles
The two Rome clubs are left behind in the title race, but can still win the fourth and final ticket for the next Champions League. Four days after its surprise victory against Bayern Munich at home in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League (1-0), Lazio fell in the same Olympic Stadium (1-2) against Bologna of Dan Ndoye and Michel Aebischer (both substitutes at kick-off and entered in the 73rd) and remains 8th with 37 points.
Thanks to this fourth consecutive victory, Bologna returned to the level of Atalanta, which occupies the famous 4th place (45 points). “It was an important test for us and we responded by producing our football for 90 minutes, but it is still too early to think about the Champions League,” analyzed Bologna coach Thiago Motta.
Since succeeding José Mourinho, Daniele De Rossi has awakened Roma, who won in Frosinone (0-3) and pocketed 12 points out of 15 possible to move back to 6th place (41 points).
(AFP/Sport Center)