Bologna 1-2 Milan: goals from Rebic, Kessie (from penalty) and cop

The flight resumes immediately, with the first act of the second lap, and it is auspicious: Milan get rid of Bologna at the Dall’Ara by 2-1, suffer – certainly more than legitimate in the final, but dominating before – and closes his weekend maintaining the solitary primacy in the classification under the eyes of coach Mancini. It was necessary to recover immediately after the last two consecutive defeats between the championship and the Italian Cup and that was the case, although the hardships of the last quarter of an hour testify how the defeats have left some consequences. Rebic and Kessie score (from a penalty), not Ibra: who in the week of great controversies fails again from eleven meters (and not only) but continues to be an important presence to give depth and weight to the offensive phase. Bologna remain firm in the standings and eat their hands: with more conviction against Donnarumma in the first half, but especially in the final, a point could have brought him home. The road is still heavy: only one victory in the last eleven starts.

Leao number 10

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Pioli finds among the so-called Bennacer and soon he will also find Calhanoglu, finally freed from Covid, but again he loses other pieces. It is about Kjaer and Brahim Diaz, with the Danish relieved from the first minute by Tomori, making his debut in the starting eleven after the comforting segment of the cup derby. However, the big news at the Rossoneri is Leao’s position. With Calha and Díaz unstoppable, the big question revolved around who would act at the center of the trocar. Well, Rafa did it, with Rebic deflected to the left. On the opposite side, Mihajlovic continues to insist with Barrow as a center forward, or Palacio in the third row of the bench. Soumaoro to the first as owner. The first 45s flow pleasantly, at a good pace and light up especially in the last ten minutes, when Bologna sticks their heads and puts up a couple of ideas that only break Donnarumma’s skill. In the first half hour, however, the Emilianos did not arrive in the offensive phase and super work for the other goalkeeper, Skorupski, capable of blocking the Devil decisively at least six times. The match movie was obviously what was expected: Milan with the ball between his feet and Bologna as a throw-in, Milan supported by Hernández’s skates and Ibra’s benches, Bologna incisive especially on the right with the Tomiyasu tandem. Orsolini. And a shrewd middleweight made up of Schouten and Domínguez. Leao offensive midfielder? Absolutely not bad, for his first performance in those areas. At first he struggled to find the spaces, then he cut them intelligently but above all he applied himself with a great spirit of sacrifice in helping his companions: a successful experiment. The key episodes: a cross from Hernández directly on a free kick (Skorupski smanacciata), the penalty obtained by Leao (foul by Dijks), missed by Ibra (again) and placed in goal by Rebic, both not from Donnarumma to the rossoblù (fantastic parade in Domínguez).

Best Kessie from the place …

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In the second half, Bologna tries to raise the center of gravity a bit, which only achieves it in flashes but still gives way to develop the game better. That is why the naive mani in the Soumaoro area is a bucket full of cold water. This time Kessie runs from the spot and hits the mark. Two to zero and the game that seems to have already started towards the end credits. It seems, in fact, because in practice the Rossoneri run aground after a magnificent choral action that leads to the Calabrian shot. Milan also lowers the laps. Play to pass the time, Pioli throws in Mandzukic at half an hour (diverted to the left in the truck) and about ten minutes from the end the inertia of the challenge changes completely. The guilty conscience is that of Hernández, who loses the ball on Palacio, which triggers the counter-offensive: three passes and the former Cop shortens the distance. From then on, the Devil sees him very badly, of which he is perfectly aware given the anxiety with which he defends and sweeps the area. First Donnarumma flies to Soriano, then Palacio does not get an inch of head. It’s more or less panic, which stops only after four minutes of recovery.