If it were the title of a horror film we could call it "The Ghost Strikes Back". The specter in question, on the other hand, is yet another episode of goals and no goals that has hit our championship, which this year is unable to allow itself even a weekend of peace. AC Milan are still the protagonists, who have the unenviable record of being the only team in history to have conceded two ghost goals in just over a month.
It being understood that we believe in the good faith of the referees (otherwise we would find something better to do at the weekend than watch matches) and that it makes no sense to fuel further controversies (those of the insiders are enough for us), we suggest to Michel Platini to reflect a little longer on the issue of "slow motion on the pitch". Last time the current UEFA number one told us the story of the good goal referee who can see better than a camera. In via Turati they cross their fingers and hope to meet him as soon as possible.
Beyond the slow motion (which in any case, after Allegri's vitriolic declarations, will make all the sporting front pages), that of Catania was a beautiful, almost magnetic match. Frenzied pace, chances on both sides, correct teams and fiery cheering. The only discordant note, therefore, is the linesman's mistake. Think Platini, think…
THE MATCH
Waiting to recover men (Pato should be next), Allegri relies on safe used: Abate back on the right, Bonera and Mexes in the center, Antonini on the left. The midfield, given the disqualification of Muntari and the unavailability of Van Bommel, is therefore forced into Aquilani, Ambrosini and Nocerino. Emanuelson is preferred to Boateng, Robinho to El Shaarawy. Partnering, ça va sans dire, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who cannot be missing from his favorite garden (series A). On the other hand Montella abandons the 3-5-2 with which he stopped Napoli and returns to the 4-3-3, with the all-tango trident Gomez-Bergessio-Barrientos.
The choice pays off, because from the outset Catania made themselves dangerous, but Milan too didn't stand by and watch. In fact, the first real chance of the match was for the Rossoneri and was signed by Emanuelson, who scored an incredible goal face to face with Carrizo. The match continues like this, with Catania and Milan ready to attack each other relentlessly: Ibrahimovic misses a close range shot, Bergessio sends the ball with his head just over the crossbar. In the 33rd minute, however, the match unlocks: the goal is from Robinho, cold in front of Carrizo, but the genius is all from Ibra, author of a wonderful assist. Does Catania feel the pinch? nope! Just 4 minutes go by and Gomez hits the crossbar with a fireball from outside the box. We go into the break at 0-1, but the feeling is that it didn't end there. Correct prediction, because after not even a minute of the second half the first emotion arrives: Gomez's goal, but Bergonzi cancels for offside.
The decision initially seems crazy, because the "Papu" is in a very regular position, but reviewing the replay you notice how Bergessio, author of the assist, was offside. Kudos to the assistant for the very difficult call. But Catania pressed and the goal came shortly after (55th) with Spolli, quick to exploit a Legrottaglie tower. At that point Milan wakes up and the crime happens (64th): Ibra's through ball for Robinho, who jumps the goalkeeper and shoots on goal. Marchese saves desperately, but the television images show that the ball has entered. Allegri gets furious, also because shortly after Ibrahimovic is stopped in a very regular position by the same assistant who, not happy, flaunts an equally invented offside also to Boateng. Despite these mistakes, the game remained beautiful and fair and the chances never stopped pouring in: Mexes (header) and Ibrahimovic (lob) came close to scoring, Legrottaglie and Izco did the same. It ends 1-1, with Allegri who, furious, splashes in the locker room. And shortly after he shows up in the press room.
THE REACTIONS
The Rossoneri coach is very angry and his goal is once again Marotta, guilty of having made statements about the referees in an interview with Tuttosport: “The Robinho episode was difficult to see, but that's a goal. Two episodes like that are starting to weigh, I read that Marotta complains, instead we should keep quiet. If they continue to complain and want to protect themselves, let's protect ourselves too. Today there were also two non-existent offsides that were flagged to us. In the only 4 balanced games in the championship we have suffered many unfavorable episodes: today, with Fiorentina, with Lazio and with Juve.
Muntari's sensational goal alone is worth all the episodes of the championship, with that goal the games would already be over". Adriano Galliani also shares the same opinion, who did not mention Marotta, but complained about Bergonzi's decisions: "I have little to say, I note that it is the second time the ball has crossed the line, by regulation it would be a goal, but not for us. I understand the referees, I understand the assistants who miss offside, I don't understand why Milan score two goals that cross the line and are not awarded. In other games I notice that the assistants are very good at seeing them, but we are very unlucky. Let's just hope that this bad luck ends and that these episodes don't alter the final result of this championship”.
