After what even Florenzi described as Milan's worst performance of the season on Saturday, fans were rightfully filled with a sense of dread for this match. Milan had not scored in the Champions League before tonight, and PSG had dismissed Milan 3-0 in Paris two weeks ago as well. Pioli's superpower has always been mentality, and especially being able to pull the team together and get a reaction like this 2-1 win over PSG after a dreadful performance. However, with so much of the Milan gone from Milan this season, even the most ardent believers rightfully questioned whether it was possible. However, with a few key players returning from injury and a sold out San Siro stadium behind them, this team dug deep and performed a miracle at San Siro.
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| Current mood. |
It was going to take a lot to eclipse the fan behavior ahead of the match or even during the match. Monday night, Milan Ultras attacked PSG fans in the Navigli area of Milano, and one fan was hospitalized with stab wounds. PSG fans reportedly also clashed with police, wounding an officer as well.
Then there was the Curva Sud's bizarre obsession with abusing Donnarumma. Again. As if the death threats to he and his family and making him cry right before games when he played for Milan were not enough, they sold stacks of paper money printed with Donnarumma's face and numerous insults on it for fans to throw at him. They justified their actions by claiming they would donate the proceeds to local football schools for children. So they tried to make amends for being douchebags on the world stage by giving a few dollars to local charities. I don't think that's how it works. Also, worrying more about abusing the opposing goalkeeper than supporting your own is a bad look, too.
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| Support your own keeper. |
Luckily, the team was able to detract from their fans' misguided ways. Milan came out shooting, and soon it was end to end action. But it only took until the ninth minute for a goal, and it came to the wrong side in the worst possible way. Former Inter scumbag defender Škriniar scored a low header from a Marquinos corner to put PSG ahead. 1-0 PSG. That sense of dread that had been so familiar once again in recent matches hit much harder in the stomach than the ball hit the back of the net.
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| Breathtaking. |
But Milan kept attacking. After a Musah attempt in the 11th minute that went straight to Donnarumma, Milan came back again. Rafa Leão laid the ball off to Giroud, who struck it well, but it was rebounded back out, and Leão took advantage of it in the most spectacular of ways. He struck it with an overhead bicycle kick that went under Donnarumma and into the back of the net. In the Champions League. Our first goal in four Champions League matches was that incredible, beautiful, breathtaking goal from the most hypercriticized player on our team. Hell yeah. 1-1 all. Game on.
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| Leão silenced critics with his 3rd UEFA Player of the Match performance in 4 games. |
Mbappé did his thing, a breakaway just a few minutes later that left him one v one with Maignan, but Maignan came out and stopped his French national teammate. Then PSG started a parade of yellows that went on throughout the match, five in all for them. Spanish referee Manzano was not messing around, and PSG's desperate physicality in trying to stop Milan was thwarted with cautions. Which was good, because my heart needed a little break from what PSG manager Luis Enrique compared to a tennis match, the action was so back and forth with chances.
Milan kicked off the second half with perhaps even more fire, Reijnders taking a shot across the goal that went just wide. Then, in the ultimate payback, from little brother Theo Hernández's corner, Giroud whipped in a header at Škriniar's expense, winning the aerial battle and the game with his brilliant goal. 2-1 Milan.
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| Škriniar was beaten by a man 9 years older than him. |
Škriniar was lucky not to be sent off, as he fouled Loftus-Cheek from behind in the 62nd, and Manzano for some reason only gave him a warning. Then he gave the former Inter player only a yellow for a full body tackle on Leão in the 80th, who had been getting into a decent scoring opportunity as well. So weird how even after leaving Inter, players get away with stuff like that.
Musah earned Milan's only yellow card of the match, but unfortunately, that means that he will be suspended for our next match against Dortmund after the break. Which is a shame, because he played well and showed that he deserved the starting spot ahead of Krunić, who has sturggled a bit coming back from injury. The latter, however, did replace Musah in the 84th minute, and Okafor also replaced Leão, who seemed a little worse for the wear after the collision with Škriniar. Okafor immediately tested Donnarumma, it was great to see him have such an impact after coming on.
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| An unnecessary injury, hope it's not serious. |
The one negative thing was that Pulisic pulled up in the 91st minute. Truly, that was an injury that probably could have been avoided with better management from Pioli, as he was just coming back from injury and probably should have been subbed off before that point. Florenzi replaced him after the fact in the 92nd minute. Sure, it was a very important match, but these are people, and their bodies are their livelihoods. Injury prevention, especially at this club, needs to be taken more seriously.
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| Unstoppable. |
One performance that must be mentioned was Loftus-Cheek. He was an absolute monster, a nightmare for PSG, and so refreshing to have back as a starter for Milan after his injury. Calabria also had an excellent match, with memes appearing everywhere afterward of his keeping Mbappé under control in this one. The entire team stepped up with a solid team performance, the mentality was 180° of what we saw on Saturday, in this, a match that really mattered.
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| A deserved celebration in front of a sold out stadium. |
When the final whistle blew, there was euphoria on the pitch, in the stands, and for Milan fans around the world. After such a difficult start to our Champions League campaign, one that seemed doomed at kickoff after the Dortmund win over Newcastle earlier, this win breathed new life into the Group of Death, and hope into the hearts of Milanisti everywhere. It truly was a miracle at San Siro.
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| Sia and his teammates celebrate his late winner for the Primavera to take all 3 points. |
AC Milan Primavera 3, PSG U19 2
Abate's Primavera also won their match earlier with a last gasp goal from Sia in stoppage time to take all three points. 15 year-old Camarda also scored a bicycle kick, but was red-carded after the final whistle, so he'll miss the next match. The initial goal was scored by Nsiala. Milan Primavera are in first place in Group F in the UEFA Youth League with nine points.
This post inspired by the music of Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me"