Serie A, Milan-Parma 2-2: Hernández saves the rissoneri in the 91st minute

On the day the pursuers get the comeback, Milan sends a strong message: young demons never die, although now everything is complicated. Theo Hernández’s double, the first in two Rossoneri seasons, is not enough to capture the ninth success in the league, but gives the leaders a 2-2 that until the 91st minute of the game against Parma seemed a half mirage. Pioli extends the unbeaten streak to 23 league results and his Milan remains the only team without a knockout in the top five European leagues since the post-lockout recovery to today. The advantage over Inter, Napoli and Juve has now been reduced, but this equality can weigh heavily in terms of confidence and conviction. Parma squanders double lead at San Siro, and it’s the second time after 2-2 with Inter in October: Liverani can still be satisfied with what his guys put on the field.

Goals and … woods

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Liverani designs a compact Parma, with a trident that focuses on the speed of Karamoh and Gervinho and the physicality of Cornelius. Pioli, without Kjaer, Ibra and Saelemaekers, finds Bennacer in the center and gives the keys to the attack to the Castillejo-Brahim-Calhanoglu trio, with Rebic as center forward. But the Milan coach is forced to make the first change after three minutes: after a conflict with Cornelius, Gabbia has to leave with a problem in his left knee. It is up to Kalulu, fullback on paper but central if necessary, as shown in Prague in the cup. And the 20-year-old Frenchman, making his debut in Serie A, immediately accepts the unpredictability of Gervinho, who at 13 ‘points at him, takes him to the bottom and fishes in the center of the Hernani area, ignored by the Rossoneri defense: he is 1- 0 Parma. The Ivorian winger tries to take advantage of AC Milan’s defeat and at 19 ‘he makes a good cross, this time from the right, jumping to Romagnoli, for Karamoh, who anticipates everyone but heads to the side. Here the yellow-blue flashes end, because Milan, while fighting more than usual in the fluidity of the maneuver, insistently places itself on the side of Sepe. At 23 ‘the Rossoneri found the goal – Castillejo’s touch to a center by Theo deflected by Díaz with his heel – but Var annulled the former Villarreal player for offside. Parma makes density and stays low in front of its own area, Pioli’s jugglers find no gaps to break through but as they pass they bring chills to Sepe, like the double crossbar hit first by Brahim Díaz and then by Calhanoglu in the same action, at 39 ‘: the Spaniard’s shot hits the crossing to the left of goalkeeper Emiliano, the Turkish counterweight hits the opposite side of the goal. The rossoneri wood count climbs to three six minutes later, when Calhanoglu’s free kick hits the outside post.

Theo Thriller

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At half-time, Pioli shuffles the cards in the trio behind Rebic, looking for new ideas to better surprise Liverani’s men and above all with more continuity: outside of Brahim and Castillejo, inside Leao and Hauge. Calhanoglu finds the central clods so expensive, but the substance of his evening in front of goal does not seem to want to change: at 5 ‘into the second half he still hits the crossbar, this time with a powerful right hand just a few steps from Sepe. And Parma passes again, in the 11th minute, and again thanks to a header: this time Hernani disguises himself as an assistant, distributing a ball from the right that Kurtic directs to the corner after a perfect insertion. Milan against the ropes? Not exactly, because two minutes later he breaks the spell with Theo Hernández, who in a Calhanoglu corner comes out in the middle of the yellow-blue shirts and finishes the 1-2. Liverani inserts Inglese and Cyprien for Cornelius and Karamoh, while Milan, paradoxically, ends up braking and closing in on itself, unable to exploit the enthusiasm for Hernández’s goal. 20 ‘from the end, Pioli also loses Bennacer (muscular problem) and puts Tonali in doubt. A good opportunity arose for Calhanoglu in the 31st minute of an action started by the former Brescia’s right hand, but Sepe is good at opposing the Turk’s powerful right from outside. Nothing can, however, the Parma goalkeeper, in the left low shot that Hernández puts in the 91 ‘after a first rejection of the yellow-blue number one in a Rebic shot: Milan takes the joker, the first defeat can wait.