Bad evening for Italians in Europe. Rossoneri betrayed by Maignan and beaten at Bournemouth while in Turin boos were heard (again) for the Bianconeri. Atalanta defeated in Amsterdam.
Two and a half Scottish showers, that’s what European Thursday was like after the breath of fresh air of the four victories out of four that had redeemed Italian football in the Champions League. Two shocking defeats in different ways and a draw to reflect on for a long time because it is difficult to interpret the positive and negative signals it leaves behind. Overall, more steps backwards than forwards and the strong image of Milan overwhelmed at Bournemouth well beyond the episodic nature of a match that lasted as long as Maignan got sent off, leaving his team two goals down and numerically inferior.
It may have been a growth problem, a phase of life in which one goes from high to low without interruption, but Milan’s performance in England was disconcerting. The 3-0 with which Bournemouth beat the Rossoneri is without explanation, as is the reckless gesture of the French goalkeeper who knocked down an opponent in the middle of the area, transforming a simple corner into a penalty and expulsion. We can discuss whether the ball was in play or not (it almost seems more like the second than the first, but it’s a matter of tenths of a second), not about the madness of one of the leaders of the dressing room and in fact Amorim in the end took it out on his man and not on bad luck.
In Bournemouth, Milan erased everything exciting they had shown in Salzburg: the defense was bad, wrecked, everyone was overwhelmed in terms of pace, a soft approach, Cisse left to himself in the role of fake nine without supplies, zero responses to the requests that the Portuguese coach tried to convey to avoid the collapse that then occurred. It is not a drama for the Europa League standings but a wake-up call that will now accompany Milan in the delicate trip to Udine.
Juventus can complain because in some way their match against Rennes had brought them home if Lucumi’s goal with time almost up had not been disallowed (played? deflection?). The result was a 2-2 draw which was unsatisfactory in terms of the result and also for the performance put in on the pitch. Only one light at the end of the tunnel: Woltemade. The big German fought and was constantly dangerous, the others less so and only in flashes. Boos were also heard at the Allianz Stadium where the most interesting thing was the pre-match remote exchange with Carnevali as the protagonist in reminding Spalletti that at Juventus we shouldn’t be surprised if the bench wobbles (and the coach is questioned) when things don’t work. The problem for Spalletti is that they don’t work now.
To close Atalanta which has now lost the aura of the Goddess that made Europe tremble. In Amsterdam at the home of Ajax the Bergamo players fell at the last minute (0-2) with a thousand regrets but also with the feeling of being far from a level of normality to which they had become accustomed. It is said that Sarri is at risk and that Percassi could, in the coming weeks, change man: it would still be a mistake.
