The Rossoneri get back on track after the draw with Sassuolo and disappointment in the Super Cup. Pulisic opens the scoring, then the Frenchman comes on to seal the deal and score his first goals in the league. The Rossoneri are provisionally top, awaiting Inter’s result.
What a city, Milan: you can find psychologists willing to stay open even on Sunday mornings during the holidays. Milan-Verona ends 3-0, Milan is first awaiting Inter, but the big topic of the day is the restorative cure for Christopher Nkunku, who at 1:40 p.m. was a striker in the midst of an identity crisis, at 1:43 p.m. scored a penalty kindly offered by Max Allegri, At 1:45 p.m., he was embraced by his teammates, and at 1:48 p.m., he scored again, outrunning the entire Verona defense. The question is more than legitimate: would the sad Christopher of the first half have gone for that ball with the same determination?
THE GOALS – Summary of the goals, to put things in order. The lead came in the 46th minute, before halftime. The first half ended when Modric took a corner from the right. Those who weren’t rushing to the bar for halftime counted the shots on goal, and it was easy: 0-0. How sad. And yet… Luka crosses as only he knows how, Rabiot jumps over Al-Musrati and deflects towards Pulisic. Oyegoke chooses to cover the goal, so CP11 – alone – taps it in. A true striker’s goal, the kind Milan has been missing for so long. The second goal is a gift from Nelsson, who in the first minute of the second half, in the box, unbalances Nkunku in a harmless situation. Fabbri blows the whistle for a penalty and Allegri, from the bench, says, “Christopher, take it.” A motivational moment follows, in which Pulisic and Modric go to the Frenchman, leave him the ball, and talk to him. Nkunku, calm, scored his first goal in Serie A. Five minutes later, in the 8th minute, it was 3-0. Modric shot with his left foot from outside the box, Montipò deflected it onto the post, and on the rebound, Nkunku was much quicker than Bella-Kotchap, who had a three-meter advantage but refrained from shooting.
WHAT A GAME IT WAS – The game – without the political jargon – was boring in the first half. The pace was slow, Milan had 60% possession but few ideas and a couple of counterattacks that were poorly managed “technically,” as Allegri would say. There were two chances. In the 20th minute, a stop-and-shoot by Loftus-Cheek was deflected by Niasse, just wide, and in the 28th minute, a low, strong cross by Rabiot, which Nkunku misread: he started late and didn’t get there in time. Verona played their game until the 45th minute, then Rabiot and Pulisic changed the game with their goals, and from then on, it was all over. Nelsson was too naive, and Verona was too poor offensively, alternating strikers without success: in the first half, Mosquera was slow and out of shape, Giovane was more active but lacked spark, and in the second half, Sarr was out of the game and Orban was no more than a shot-taker. MILAN: MODRIC AND PULISIC – Milan were clinical and attentive at the back, with Pavlovic very precise. They scored the second, then the third goal, and yes, Nkunku, after the penalty, inflated the red balloon that had been gathering dust in his sock since the goal against Lecce more than three months ago. At that point, Modric gave a great no-look pass to Rabiot – the stadium, remembering Pirlo and perhaps Rivera, was moved – and Loftus-Cheek came close to making it 4-0, kicking a beautiful ball from Nkunku, even in the role of creative assist man, at Montipò. What remains of the last few minutes? The standing ovation for Modric, who came off 20 minutes from the end, Odogu’s debut at right back, and a goal disallowed for Orban for offside. If you’re interested in two numbers, here they are: Milan won their tenth game in a row against Verona, who extended their streak of games played at San Siro in Serie A without a win to 68. As for Milan, they end the year as Scudetto contenders and perhaps even leaders, if Atalanta give them a hand. Nkunku is good, everyone is good, but first and foremost, thanks to Pulisic, who once again broke the deadlock. If in doubt about whether to envy his bank account or his rumored girlfriend, better to choose his brain and his dedication: they are those of a champion.
