They all win, except Lazio. The contenders for the Champions League close the first round and the calendar year with important results, confirming what has long been clear: for fourth place it will be a tussle until the end. The most delicate match was certainly that of Milan and not just for questions of standings. A negative result, in fact, could have forcefully shaken Gattuso's bench, although the declarations of Leonardo and Maldini on the eve had diluted the climate a bit. However, beating Spal remained a priority for the Rossoneri, especially after the afternoon's results from Inter, Roma and Lazio, which momentarily sent them to eighth place, with the possibility, however, of reaching fifth with only one point away from fourth.
Two very different options eiLuckily for him, AC Milan hit the best one, albeit with the usual suffering. Under normal conditions, in fact, a 2-1 draw at San Siro against Spal in a comeback and with Romagnoli and Donnarumma decisive in the final would be received badly, but this, as you know, is a very special moment and therefore there is no need to picky. Better therefore to take three points and the goals that were missing even from December 2nd e return close to Lazio: the stop will serve to calm spirits and, perhaps, to strengthen the squad a little. Since yesterday the name of Muriel has returned to circulate forcefully, who could arrive on loan from Sevilla: a solution that would be useful for Via Aldo Rossi, forced to move with caution so as not to irritate UEFA and Gattuso, in need of an extra striker.
Even if yesterday Rino has found Higuain and this, together with the result, is the news he likes the most. Il Pipita, after a nervous start seasoned with inaccuracies and a few whistles from San Siro, finally broke free with a robbery and power goal, thus putting an end to a fast that lasted for eight games and giving Milan a fundamental success. Before his goal (64') a first half of suffering, with Spal immediately ahead with Petagna (13', decisive deflection by Romagnoli) and the Rossoneri grabbing the equalizer with Castillejo (16', big left under the cross) , after the expulsion of Suso (he will miss the Super Cup with Juve on 16 January) and, above all, Semplici's team was very dangerous and stopped only by a save by the Milan captain on Petagna and by a great save by Donnarumma after a header by Fares . “After going under it was not easy to overturn it, especially in this period – Gattuso's analysis. – I liked the mentality of the boys, even if perhaps we should have closed it earlier. I'm also happy for Higuain, he lives for goals, he's always been a sniper and he's had a bad time this period. The missed penalty and the sending-off against Juve was a blow for him, but he's a player who needs to find accuracy and goals again: we missed him, let's hope he's also unlocked mentally”.
Important victory and also suffered for Inter, who thus closes 2018 on a crescendo: the success with Empoli in fact comes after the one with Napoli and helps to calm down a bit an environment in continuous boiling, albeit for episodes that have little to do with the pitch. The Castellani match will certainly not go down in history for the game and the show but it doesn't matter to the Nerazzurri: they needed the 3 points and they arrived. Decisive, for once, not Icardi but Keita Balde: the former Monaco, preferred to Perisic, scored the winning goal (72') just when the ghosts of the draw (and the consequent controversies) began to hover menacingly over Empoli.
“He's a splendid boy, he's always joyful in his ways – praised Spalletti. – These are matches that can go badly if you don't approach them in the right way. We weren't brilliant in the first half, but we did better in the second half. Now we have an important championship and a Europa League ahead of us, then there's the Coppa Italia where if you do well in the first game, you'll get close to playing in the final”.
Many goals still open for Inter, as well as for Roma. With the 2-0 win in Parma, the Giallorossi achieved their third victory in their last four games, confirming a newfound solidity and, above all, the end of the crisis. Conquering the Tardini wasn't easy, especially without conceding a goal, but Di Francesco's team succeeded and now, thanks to Lazio's misstep against Turin (1-1), they can look to 2019 with more optimism. Fourth place, an essential goal for Pallotta, is only two points away and this is thanks to the coup in Parma, much more complex than the final result suggests. Up until Cristante's break-the-balance header (58') the match had been balanced, with chances on both sides. But then, after the former Atalanta's goal, Parma necessarily had to reveal themselves and Roma took advantage of it with Under (75') for the 2-0 final. “In the last two matches I've seen a lot of quality on the pitch – commented Di Francesco with satisfaction. – We rediscovered our identity, changing pace in the second half and creating many chances to hurt our opponents."
