Asahara: an invaluable exception that proves the rule

Published: October 17, 2020 at 7:58 p.m.
Updated: October 17, 2020 at 8.16 pm

Photo: Spada / TT NEWS AGENCY

When lions hunt zebras, they focus on isolating the weak link in the pride.

When Zlatan Ibrahimovic was chasing a derby goal against Inter, he did exactly the same.

A 39-year-old Swede remains the invaluable exception confirming the youth rule for an increasingly exciting red-black future project.

Of course, there was a feeling beforehand that this had great potential to be a red and black Saturday night in Milan. For the first time in a league context since 2016. Yes, it was actually that long since AC Milan won a “Derby della Madonnina” in Serie A.

Because on the one hand there was a Milan that started the Serie A season with three consecutive victories without conceded goals and that has not lost a football game since March, just before a virus paralyzed an entire planet and even a world of football .

On the other hand, an Inter whose almost the entire defensive line has been affected by exactly the same virus (by the way, another crystal clear argument in favor of the skeptics of the collection of pandemic teams, signed included).

That virus had also kept one Zlatan Ibrahimovic away from games for several weeks.

A 39-year-old Swede remains the invaluable exception confirming the youth rule of this promising new project from Milan. A project that is spun into the fabric of the future with longing eyes towards the outstanding Champions League stadiums they are expected to be in, but have not been allowed to enter since 2014. A contemporary project from Milan that breathes for once faith falls after peaks for teams with Stefano Pioli at the helm). Zlatan Ibrahimovic? He sheds light instead of believing that an age of greatness can last longer than the limits of age suggest. A singular that reminds over and over again that his own glory days are far from over.

Of course this time too.

With bleeding fangs

Inter’s left-back Aleksandar Kolarov has played center-back several times in his long career. It has seldom been especially reassuring. He certainly wouldn’t have done it this Saturday if players like Milan Skriniar and Alessandro Bastoni hadn’t been in solitary confinement.

And when lions hunt zebras, they always target the weakest in the pride.

So when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was released after just over ten minutes played, it was, of course, the Serbian veteran who lay in the back and followed him. Say what you want about Ibrahimovic’s Benjamin Button qualities, but the speed is no longer there (we can still say that). However, the phenomenon of Swedish football was there and would take a penalty a few minutes later after a Kolarovspark out of place. He didn’t do very well, especially not well enough to outwit one of the world’s leading penalty savers (Samir Handanovic). But it is possible to give answers to speeches even through statements of penalty.

A few minutes later, now with a bloody goatee, he had once again fooled the exposed striped link on a whip. Kolarov was out of line, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was right, when lion cub Rafael Leao entered with a well-balanced tackle.

0-2 on the board after just over a quarter. A 39-year-old two-goal shooter who in one of the most prestigious derbies in the world has gone mercilessly and doubly instilled another seal of quality for those naysayers who are still worried about an expiration date.

Four goals in two games in Zlatan’s season, the only ones that need to worry about that date seem to be the club he belongs to, which once again reminds how invaluable the Swedish routine and the goalscoring spirit is for AC Milan here and now.

A broken trend

Inter’s newly composed rear crown line had, as I said, its weak links. But on the other hand, the offensive was intact, which also meant that a statement from Zlatan was not enough to silence the blue-blacks. Romelu Lukaku, in a usual dynamic attacking duo with Lautaro Martínez at the top, stayed to the right and dropped in just under half an hour played and gave life to the game. Summer recruiter Achraf Hakimi had a lead from minute one in his “game within the game” against Milan’s speedball Theo Hernandez on the edge.

Inter are, after all, a sleeping Milan giant who has come a long way on their way to awakening. After all, Inter were, despite all the different factors that spoke against them before the match, a pre-favorite on paper with an impeccable derby in short memory.

The possibilities for a change of scenery, sometimes even expected, were there. Discussion material for the missing VAR penalty that Inter did not receive was also available. But when the final signal passed, Milan had broken a trend, overcame a hurdle, and trumpeted that that red-black project isn’t that far behind blue-black after all.

The defense, where the injury of team captain Alessio Romagnoli returned alongside Danish iron man Simon Kjaer in the middle blocking was highly anticipated, remained mostly tight. Ismael Bennacer continues his silky standing pass and the graceful presence of midfield comes across as one of the great transfer finds of the past year. Franck Kessie is as important, tireless and jealous today as he was two or three years ago. Hakan Calhanoglu is much more important than he was then. Above all much better. Still, the Turkish game director, who has been blessed with one of the best free kick feet in the world, kindly watched as Ibrahimovic took a free kick over the goal in the final minutes.

After all, when it comes down to it, Milan in 2020 is still a pride of lions. Zlatan Ibrahimovic reminded us.

Once again.

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Of: Makoto Asahara

Published: October 17, 2020 at 7:58 p.m.

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