Milan, Pulisic-Leao show: very poker against Cagliari and passage to the Super Cup. Pioli: “Regret is…”

Milan-Cagliari 5-1, pass to the Supercoppa Italia and ‘save’ Lecce

Milan defeats Cagliari in the final stages: 5-1 which leaves the Sardinian team stuck at 33 points (fundamental clash on the Sassuolo pitch on Sunday) and arithmetically saves Lecce at 37 points (and with one game less) thanks also to Frosinone’s simultaneous defeat in this round of Serie A (against Inter).

For Milan it is a success that qualifies for the Supercoppa Italia having a 7 point advantage over Bologna with two days to go: the Rossoneri therefore reach Inter (Italian champions), Atalanta and Juventus (finalists in the Italian Cup). Pioli’s team is also close to second place: Juventus are eight points behind with a game in hand, but even if they win against Salernitana at the Allianz Stadium they would move up to five points behind (the Devil needs two points).

Milan-Cagliari 5-1, Pulisic and Leao are rampant

Stefano Pioli has to do without the injured Maignan, Loftus-Cheek and Kjaer and sends Leao, Theo Hernandez, Tomori and captain Calabria to the bench: Kalulu and Florenzi as full-backs, the Chukwueze-Giroud-Pulisic trident in attack. The protest of the Rossoneri ultras continues That. like against Genoa, they don’t display flags and go on strike.

Milan ahead with a tap in from Bennacerin the 35th minute following a rebound from the Cagliari goalkeeper. In the second half, in the 59th minute, Pulisic scores after a shot by Leao with the ball at his feet with the Portuguese sending it just in front of the goalkeeper. Shortly afterwards Nandez tries to reopen the match in the 63rd minute, anticipating everyone on Zappa’s cross. In the 74th minute Milan went up 3-1 with an uncatchable right-footed shot from outside the area by Reijnders.

The Rossoneri find poker with Leao in the 83rd minute launched by Bennacer on the counterattack: Rafa puts the fifth, arrives in front of Scuffet, jumps him and scores into an empty net. The final result was set in the 86th minute by Christian Pulisic who scores his brace from a cross from Okafor (Mina tries to save, but the ball had already crossed the goal line) and it is Captain America’s 12th goal of the championship.

Milan, Pobega returns to the pitch after almost 5 months

One of the happy notes of the evening was the Tommaso Pobega’s return to the field 146 days after the bad stop suffered on 17 December 2023 against Monza: the Rossoneri midfielder had suffered an injury to the left rectus femoris tendon

Milan, Stefano Pioli: “I regret Europe. Keeping up with Inter was difficult. Pulisic phenomenal”

Regret the Europa League with the quarter-final elimination against Roma? “The regret is Europe in general. We could have even got through a very difficult group, there was no need for PSG and Dortmund to go so far to know that it was difficult. Then it’s also a regret not having played at our level against Roma. We could have done more in the league, but keeping up with Inter was difficult.” the words of Stefano Pioli in the press conference at the end of Milan-Cagliari. The Rossoneri coach explains the formation choices: “I made some assessments, because we hadn’t won in 6 games and then because the three Tomori, Leao and Theo have played a lot and no longer have that energy and intensity that they can have. Then they came in well, only positive things tonight” . On his return to success after 6 games he told Sky: “In recent years we are not used to not winning for a long period. It is clear that after the elimination in the Europa League and the defeat in the derby we had a difficult, delicate moment and we suffered from this situation. Being able to win this match, improve the ranking, it was very important for the boys who played a game of attention and sacrifice.” Milan second, but with a clear distance from Inter: “No team has managed to maintain the incredible level of performances and points that Inter achieved. We weren’t able to have the continuity we needed to stay attached but this is a strong team, which tried but which isn’t managed to overcome the decisive moments in a certain moment of the championship and there we lost confidence, certainties, however we did the championship in every way but the others were too much stronger than everyone, not just us”. Have you felt alone in recent weeks? “No. I have a very good relationship with my managers. I had it with Paolo and with Ricky who are the ones who brought me to Milan, just as I had it this year with all the others. I have a very good relationship, we are a great club and there are great expectations. There have been criticisms, even ferocious ones, but it is part of this job best football possible. Sometimes we succeeded but I certainly did some other things wrong.” On the fans’ strike: “I am very sorry about this situation. One thing we are proud of is having created this symbiosis which has given us positivity and confidence and I hope things can be resolved for Milan’s future but it will certainly go like this.” Last bench against Salernitana? “I haven’t spoken to the club yet, we have two games and the season isn’t over yet. Then I hope that the Milan environment finds that enthusiasm in overcoming difficult moments and achieving extraordinary goals that no one imagined”, underlines Stefano Pioli to Sky . On who impressed him the most this year. the Milan coach explains to Dazn: “Pulisic is phenomenal. He has a quality in his choices and an extraordinary intensity. When I met him this summer for the first time I immediately had positive sensations, then when I started working with him I had even better sensations. Even Lotfus- Cheek and Reijnders are excellent players. All the new players are strong and they are Milan players. It is not easy to arrive in Italy, but they have done well.

Milan, Reijnders: “It was important to win for second place”

Tijjani Reijnders, interviewed by DAZN, at the end of Milan-Cagliari: “It was important to win for second place. After a month like this it wasn’t easy, but we always want to win.” On the climate in the team: “The fans are not happy, we understand them. The important thing was to play football to entertain them too.” On the goal: “I’ve been looking for a goal like this for a long time. I’m happy.”