Not an easy point: Milan are afraid of the final round

by time news

A decision in the final round is very exciting for the fans in Italy. They have not had such a celebration for more than a decade – the last time the fight over Scudetto lasted until the last week of the season was somewhere in 2010. Inter, then two points ahead of Roma, needed a win at Siena Stadium to maintain their place at the top, and did so thanks to a Diego Milito goal in the second half. Immediately afterwards, Jose Mourinho’s black-and-blues left for Madrid, defeating Bayern Munich in the Champions League final and completing a treble.

Siena in the first division, Mourinho at Inter, the Italian representative’s win in the Champions League, yes, that was a long time ago. A long time ago. In the country of the boot, they really missed the tension in the last round, after such complete control of Juventus for almost a decade, and Inter’s relatively light championship last season. This time even neutral football fans will be biting their nails tomorrow (Sunday, 7pm). This is the best publicity for this league, which has provided a lot of fascinating moments this season. It was unexpected, surprising, refreshing, and now the absolute underdog is within touching distance of a sensational win. Milan’s match against Sesotho will be broadcast on Channel ONE2.

Not many gambled on AC Milan at the start of the season, not many put money on it even when it opened excellently in the first two months. In January, when they lost at San Siro to a 2-1 draw, at the time of injuries, some felt it was a clear sign of a loss, that the team was not mentally ready for the struggles at the top. But here you go – it turned out to be the last fiasco. Coach Stefano Fioli’s side have been counting 15 games without a loss, and in recent rounds they have won by a landslide.

Winners in teeth. AC Milan (Reuters) players

It trailed 1: 0 against Lazio at the break – and won 1: 2 thanks to a goal by Sandro Tonali during injuries. She did not play well against Fiorentina – and won 0: 1 in the final minutes from a brilliant goal by Rafael Liao. Tonali brought it 1: 3 in Verona with a pair on his birthday, and the ardent Milan fan became a superhero, the undisputed idol of the crowd, on the way to the apparent achievement. On the other hand, Theo Hernandez also competes with him, especially after the brilliant slalom with 0: 2 over Atlanta in the previous round. Even then the result was zeroed at the break, but AC Milan show a brilliant ability to transcend in the important moments, as they also did in the derby against Inter in early February, when a pair of Olivier Giroud towards the end brought the turnaround to a 1: 2 victory.

This win gives Rossoneri an advantage over the city rival in the event of a tie, thanks to superiority in the direct encounters, so a draw on Sunday at Sesotho Stadium will also suffice. Inter, who are two points behind, must beat Sampdoria at San Siro, and will retain the championship crown if AC Milan lose at the same time.

Need a loss for Milan.  Inter (Reuters) playersNeed a loss for Milan. Inter (Reuters) players

A draw against a team that is ranked 11th and has long since lost its practical interest in the league. Sounds easy? Just on paper, because Sesotho is an attractive team with a brilliant tip-off squad. Her chances of keeping a clean sheet are not high, but she is able to score a number of goals herself, as she did in the first round in the 1: 3 victory over AC Milan at San Siro. Simon Kier then scored an own goal a few days before he was injured and finished the season – there is hardly any talk of this aspect in AC Milan’s gallop, but it is even more impressive given the lack of the veteran and outstanding Danish stopper. The other two goals were signed by Gianluca Skamaka and Domenico Bardi.

Both will be very dangerous, with a particularly high motivation, this time too. Scamaca, the future striker of Italian football, is mentioned as a candidate to join Inter, especially if Lautro Martinez is sold. Barardi is an ardent and outspoken Inter fan, and the opportunity to arrange for his beloved team a championship is a dream come true for him. In fact, Milan is his favorite rival, and he has already scored 10 goals against them in his career, including a quartet in 2013 and a hat-trick in 2015. He was then one of the hottest names in Italy, and it is a huge achievement for Sesotho because she still managed to keep him on the roster.

Gianluca Skamaka (Reuters)Gianluca Skamaka (Reuters)

So today he is part of a great trio on the edge. Barardi has 15 league goals this season, Lasmaca 16, and Giacomo Raspadori also impressed with 10. By the way, the 22-year-old Raspadori made the big headlines for the first time in his career a year ago when he scored a double in a 1-2 win over AC Milan at San Siro. In short, Sesotho really likes to score against the Rossoneri, so it would be ridiculous for the leader to wait for a walk in the park.

In general, although Italy was famous for quite a few non-kosher games when certain teams needed points in the final rounds, it knew dramatic upheavals at the top in the last round. In 1967, Inter took a one-point lead over Juventus and needed a win over Mantua to celebrate Scudetto, but Dino Zoff (yes, he was a Mantua star then!) Locked the net, the black-and-blues lost 1-0, and the old lady skipped first place thanks to 1: 2 over Lazio.

In 2000, Carlo Ancelotti’s Juventus took a two-point lead over Lazio, and only needed a routine win at Perugia’s pitch to win the championship. She was caught in a particularly heavy rain that turned the field into a pool, the opening whistle was postponed, but the fight was eventually carried out – and the old lady lost 1: 0. Lazio, who beat Regina 0: 3, celebrated a historic championship. Two years later, in 2002, Inter led by one point over Juventus and had to beat Lazio at the Olimpico, taking the lead twice in the first half, but losing 4-2, and the Brazilian Ronaldo burst into uncontrollable tears on the bench. Yuva defeated Udinese 0: 2 and won the championship, and Inter slipped to third place.

Lost a championship with Yuba dramatically.  Ancelotti (Reuters)Lost a championship with Yuba dramatically. Ancelotti (Reuters)

And there was also the last round in 1973, which no AC Milan fan wants to remember. The red-blacks came to him by a point advantage from Juventus and Lazio, and needed a victory at Verona in order to retain first place and win the championship. The mood was fantastic after a win over Leeds United in the holding cup final in the middle of the week, but the players were also very tired after the huge effort and the trip to Thessaloniki. In addition, the coach was seen Rocco running a suspension, and young Giovanni Trapattoni replaced him on the bench – in fact, it was the first game the great maestro had to run for the future.

The expectation was for an easy victory, but the reality was completely different, and after 29 minutes Milan was already trailing 3-0. One shrinking gate before the break instilled some hope, and Rocco came down from the stands to the locker room at half-time to give instructions and shout at his trainees. It did not really help that the host scored twice more just as AC Milan dreamed of a comeback, and the leader was defeated 5: 3 in the end. Lazio also lost, but Juventus beat Roma from a goal by Antonello Cucardo in the 87th minute, overtaking the opponent on the way to Scudetto.

This is the script that Milan fears. Could the history of 49 years ago be repeated? The exciting title is closer than ever, but as long as the desired point is not in the pocket, the business is not over – and Inter are very hopeful that the stumble will come.

Is this the most justified red of the season ?!

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