Inter takes the Europa League, Milan, awaiting Sassuolo's response, brings them closer. This is the summary of Saturday for the Milanese, all marked by the search for very heavy points to return to the cups. However, comparing the Nerazzurri and the Rossoneri would be wrong, as well as unfair: Mancini's team, albeit with many ups and downs, nonetheless closed the season by conquering an important objective, while Brocchi's, however, behind by 10 points, still depends on the opponents . In this case, the Sassuolo match in Frosinone (15 pm) will be fundamental: a success by Di Francesco would push Europe away again, effectively tying it only to the final of the Coppa Italia. The end of the season will therefore be shivering for Milan, while Inter, after conquering fourth place (the third was already lost last Sunday), can already be considered on vacation. “I would have liked to have done better than that – admitted Mancini at the press conference. – If we had been more consistent we wouldn't have finished fourth, but this is the position we deserve in light of the championship done. It must also be said that, numbers in hand, we are talking about Inter's best season in the last 5 years, this is undoubtedly a positive thing”. The 2-1 win over Empoli didn't particularly shake the Jesi coach, already resigned for several weeks to the idea of not making the Champions League, the minimum goal assigned to him at the start of the championship. However, the 3 points were mandatory, especially after last Sunday's bad defeat against Lazio. We needed a reaction and Inter, without being charming, had it. The goals all came in the first half, demonstrating a fair and concentrated approach, very different from that of the Olimpico. Icardi took care of unlocking the match after just 12' with a nice right foot on an assist from Perisic, and it was the Croatian himself who found the goal of the final 2-1 with a close tap-in (40'), after Pucciarelli he had momentarily brought Empoli to a draw (37'). The recovery continued without any particular jolts, apart from Icardi's injury: the Argentine suffered a muscle problem and was forced to leave the field.
Milan's match against Bologna was more tense, on the other hand the stakes were higher. In fact, the Rossoneri were asked to win again and already this, given the last three matches, was anything but obvious; and then there was (there is) a Europe to be conquered, even if from the "back door" of sixth place (2 summer preliminaries). Brocchi's team made it but this is the only good news of a lackluster evening, the umpteenth of a season marked by mediocrity. Despite a game played for three/quarters in numerical superiority (Diawara sent off in the 12th minute for a second yellow card) Milan never managed to raise its voice, actually ending up in trouble under the rossoblu attacks. The 1-0 final brings Bacca's signature from a penalty (40', 17th league goal for him), otherwise the usual unconvincing performance, both from a technical and mental point of view. “We had to win and we did, these were 3 very important points – Brocchi glossed over. – Unfortunately sixth place doesn't just depend on us, however we did our duty, now we just have to wait and see what will happen”. However, the Rossoneri coach cannot be 100% satisfied: the improvements in the game (the reason for his call in place of Mihajlovic) are in hiding and to date the final against Juve appears rather prohibitive. At Dall'Ara the episodes were also filmed well: if Diawara's expulsion is all right just like the penalty converted by Bacca (clear foul by Da Costa on Luiz Adriano), the same cannot be said of Doveri's decision not to whistle a penalty against Bologna for Romagnoli's hold on Floccari: it was the 6th minute and the result was still 0-0, moreover with the teams in numerical parity. Milan wins and takes home, but for the game we still have to wait. And this, just two games from the end of the season, is an outright admission of failure.
