Milan, how much waste: draw in Cremona and now Napoli are at +8

by our correspondent Marco Fallisi

November 8
– Cremona

The braking you do not expect risks killing the championship even before Serie A goes into hibernation for the world stop: Milan makes 0-0 at Cremonese’s home and slips to -8 from Napoli. Pioli wanted to stay in the wake of Spalletti, instead he finds himself even further away and with two points less than last year. The turnover does not work, the compulsory absences weigh like boulders and this time not even the little genius Leao fulfills the wishes of his coach, when he rubs the lamp and calls him into question in the second half. For Alvini and him, the appointment with the first victory is still postponed, but this point snatched from the Italian champions counts as a success: the red-gray curve sings and celebrates the little big business.

The choices

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Pioli makes turnover, between forced changes (Hernandez and Giroud disqualified, in their place Ballo-Touré and Origi) and technical choices: at rest Leao and Kalulu, inside Rebic and the surprise Thiaw, on his debut as a starter with Milan. Alvini has to deal with injuries and relies on a 3-5-2 with the attacking duo formed by Felix and Ciofani, the equal man in the 89th minute with Salernitana, and the former Rossonero Meité in median. Before the match, the two captains Ciofani and Bennacer exchange two special jerseys with the number 100, to pay homage to Ugo Tognazzi, an unforgettable Cremonese actor and AC Milan fan, on the centenary of his birth.

Carnesecchi against everyone

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The first real ring is from Milan – Diaz sends high on a cross from Messias – but it arrives only after 23 minutes of play: the Rossoneri’s 3-4-1-2 takes a while to light up. When it happens, however, for Cremonese they are chills, and they arrive in series: at 26 ‘a super exit from Carnesecchi is needed to say no to Origi, thrown into the goal by a filter from Rebic; in the 32nd minute it was Vasquez who again anticipated the Belgian on an inviting cross from Tonali from the left; at 35 ‘Thiaw tries with his head, on a corner of the usual Tonali, but Carnesecchi intercepts and collects the applause of Zini. At 40 ‘it becomes clear that the evening is turning to a monologue by the grigiorosso goalkeeper, “Carnesecchi against all”: he is still the one to stop a Milan player, this time Messias who kicks hard with his left foot after a good percussion. And the Cremonese? Try to do badly looking for the width and speed with Felix’s snatches in the restart when Milan gives something (72% of possession for the Pioliani …) but the plate cries because there is no substance there in front: the Alvini band goes to rest without ever having shot on goal.

Rafa is not enough

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The second half opens with a goal canceled by the Var in the 56th minute in Origi for offside: it is the last action of the Belgian, who gives way to Leao. Pioli also changes behind, inserting Kalulu for Thiaw. He also changes Alvini, who throws Sernicola, Buonaiuto and Okereke into the fray for Ghiglione, Felix and Ciofani. Rafa immediately tries to shake his teammates, and almost fails: in the 68th minute the Portuguese draws a poison cross-shot, Messias does not get there but the usual Carnesecchi does. At 74 ‘comes the moment of De Ketelaere, who replaces Diaz on the trocar but is almost invisible: a constant in this first part of the season of the Belgian, a problem for Pioli and for Milan’s attacking solutions. Which ends with Lazetic as center forward. But the young Serbian, making his debut in Serie A, is not Giroud and it shows: the shot attempted in the recovery ends in the red-gray corner and a roar starts. For the Cremonese.