AC Milan held off Genoa for an impressive 2-1 win in a rainy Serie A match on Monday. The game was held at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Milan pulled off a stunning turnaround, suddenly finding their spark as the urgency and creativity that had been missing at the start of the match arrived late in the first half.
The encounter saw Milan’s manager, Sergio Conceicao, express his thoughts on the team’s performance. Tactically, when I look at our game plan, we missed opportunities to be more productive with the ball in the first half. Credit to the opposition – far better than us – but we could’ve stretched for depth more,” he said.
First Half Dominance by Genoa
Genoa were the better side for much of the first half, forcing Milan keeper Mike Maignan into a string of saves. Maignan best, Maignan last. Maignan was the star of the story, with a series of brilliant saves ensuring the hosts remained level at halftime. One notable moment came when Christian Pulisic was denied at point-blank range by a sharp save from Genoa keeper Nicola Leali.
To their credit, Milan withstood the storm. The national team players looked uninspired over long periods of the game, with little urgency to create chances. Yet, as the first half wore on, they started to establish control.
“We work a lot,” – Sergio Conceicao
A Turnaround in the Second Half
That second half marked the start of a major comeback for Milan. Rafael Leao came onto the pitch and almost immediately drew AC Milan level. Just seconds earlier, Vitinha had given Genoa the lead in the 61st minute after coming onto the pitch just a minute before.
Milan’s resurgence continued when Morten Frendrup inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net, completing Milan’s turnaround and securing a crucial lead. Conceicao praised his team’s response to adversity. “The players responded well, which shows we have a group that believes in what we do at Milanello,” he stated.
Looking Ahead
With this win, Milan climbs to 57 points, holding steady in ninth place in the overall league table. They’re still six points shy of fourth-placed Juventus, who for now hold the final Champions League berth. And with just three rounds to go in the season, the pressure is certainly on! Having done all they can in the league, Milan now prepare for two important back-to-back matches with Bologna—first in Serie A, then for the Coppa Italia final.
Milan nearly doubled their lead in stoppage time. Leao hit one of his trademark rockets but Leali came up big again with a terrific save. As the season rolls into its height, everyone will be looking at Milan. Can they pull together this momentum and pursue their dreams of European competition?
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