Finally, the Milan standings in the Champions League have shifted. Despite a less-than-stellar performance, Paulo Fonseca's team managed to beat Club Brugge and secure their first three points of the European season.
How the victory came about matters little, although it will be a topic of discussion and analysis at Milanello in the days leading up to Saturday’s match at Dall'Ara against Bologna (who lost 2-0 in their away game against Aston Villa yesterday).
This morning, Il Corriere dello Sport writes that the final score of 3-1 is due not only to the players on the field, who significantly stepped up after the guests equalised while a player down, but also to Paulo Fonseca, who was brave (and lucky) in his choices during the match.
To avoid any form of underestimation, the Portuguese coach decided to field his best lineup from the very first minute, with Leao and Theo Hernandez returning to their respective positions after being absent against Udinese. The two did not have an inadequate game, but it wasn’t particularly outstanding either, especially for Leao, who was substituted around the hour mark along with the Englishman, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze came on in their places, proving decisive with two assists for Tijjani Reijnders’ surprising brace.
In short, Paulo Fonseca was once again correct in his choices and his bravery, almost as if to demonstrate and confirm that the dynamics around Milan are changing and that there can indeed be a different Milan than the one we have come to know over the years.
He deserves credit for being astute and capable of understanding this, and that’s why, even last night in the Rossoneri's victory, his influence was front and center.
