The big match at the Allianz Stadium ends in a draw and leaves doubts for both Spalletti and Amorim. Here’s what the ninety minutes of Turin said.
Similar to the Saturday of comebacks and great emotions there was only the final adrenaline rush. Juventus and Milan did not repeat the matches at San Siro and the Olimpico, they divided the stakes and therefore did not get hurt even if Spalletti and Amorim leave the match at the Allianz Stadium with the confirmation that they have a long way to go to give consistency to their respective projects.
Compared to the recent past, however, at least in the second half there was the rush of energy from the back and forth between Cisse and Gatti which allowed the Bianconeri not to emerge beaten and with a thousand regrets. Before the advantage of the golden boy of Amorim, who entered just in time to make his mark, it was Juventus who moved better in the difficulties of a Milan who were forced to press high and who struggled to defend as soon as the midfield line was jumped.
A post from Conceicao, a couple of good interventions from Maignan and the feeling that sooner or later the home team would find their way to the net. Until Cisse’s flash, born from a foul by De Winter on Kolo Muani which was obvious to everyone except Mariani and the unemployed Camplone at Var. Sincerely: if it serves this purpose (i.e. nothing) we might as well avoid investing millions of euros to keep the Lissone structure up and go directly back ten years. It’s not a question of Orsato’s style or judging criteria: fouls exist and must be whistled and if the referee doesn’t see them today there is VAR. Everywhere.
Net of the episode and Gatti’s header which restored parity, a few considerations in no particular order. Spalletti, who had half the team in the infirmary, continues to wait for concrete help from Kolo Muani which is not being received at the moment. The Rossoneri defense didn’t struggle to contain him and Woltemade was only seen for the final attack. Conceicao remains the most dangerous and this is not good news. Alajbegovic is in his first steps, Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez alive but not decisive.
And Milan? Amorim was very clear and honest in reading that the performance was not sufficient and in not being satisfied with the result. His team is readable and predictable if there are no real attacking midfielders but adapted midfielders like Rabiot and Saelemaekers. And at the same time in the defensive phase he risks too much, leaving the line in front of Maignan exposed and attackable with a lot of pitch available. Imbalances that he must work on. There is time and the beginning should not be thrown away.
