From disaster to relief, all with the usual dose of tensions and poisons. Milan brings home a 2-2 draw from Turin, an unattractive result on the eve, welcomed as a godsend in the post of a match already given up for lost. But in football it is forbidden to relax and the Rossoneri benefit from a drop in tension from the grenades, now convinced they have won, so much so that they allow the replacement of someone like Cerci, by far the best player in the squad.
Ventura should do the mea culpa, instead he takes it out on the referee for a rather atypical episode. Minute 93: Larrondo is on the ground in his own half, the ball goes out in a lateral foul. Milan, now in the hunt for a desperate draw, plays it before Toro manages to make the substitution. On the development of the action, on the other side of the field, Pasquale extends Poli and the Rossoneri get the penalty that Balotelli bags.
Ventura is furious, but the images prove him wrong, at least in terms of regulation (ethics, as we know, are another thing): the referee must decide the moment of the substitution, not the coach of one or of the other team. On the other hand, there was no discussion on the penalty, this time sacrosanct, as well as on Muntari's goal, on which the grenades invoked an offside by Balotelli that didn't exist.
“We had Larrondo down, it wasn't corrected. It's a difficult situation to accept, Toro played the game for the entire 90 minutes, the 2-0 was also tight…”. True, but then why remove Cerci, devastating up until then, who could have hurt the Rossoneri even more? Football mysteries, a gift that Allegri takes and takes home, just like the undeserved point from the Olimpico.
Milan was simply unwatchable, from all points of view. In defense, where mistakes abound, in midfield, completely devoid of pace and quality, in attack, for once dull and without flashes. The two goals are quite casual, especially Muntari's first, found almost by mistake. Had it been a boxing match, victory (on points, of course) would have gone to Turin, but Allegri doesn't agree.
“The boys were good at believing it – he retorted at the press conference. – It wasn't an easy match, but the draw was fully deserved”. He too knows that's not the case, but the point is a precious one, for the standings and morale. On the other hand, the moment is complicated: in addition to the obvious technical limits, a minimum physical condition is added, worsened by the numerous injuries (there are already 9) that arrive in bursts. After El Shaarawy, Montolivo too was betrayed by his muscles. Heavy defections, also in light of Kakà's form, which appeared to be far from acceptable standards.
The Brazilian played 65 minutes in the shadows, then asked for a substitution. “Normal, he hadn't played for a long time – Allegri defended him. – He He didn't spare himself and had a good match in terms of intensity ”. Beyond the justifications, this Milan is seriously behind its rivals. Leaders Napoli will arrive at San Siro next Sunday (2-0 against Atalanta with goals from Higuain and Callejon), but before that it will be Celtic's turn. Certainly not a team of phenomena, but with grit and racing to spare. "We have little time to recover – Allegri sighed – but we can't go wrong against the Scots". Yes, because in Via Turati (but perhaps it would be better to say in Arcore) patience has a limit.
