There are three images that perfectly capture the importance of Milan’s 2–1 win over Genoa: one for each point earned, points that, weigh like a boulder.
There is Gerry Cardinale arriving in Genoa to follow the team up close; there is the spark provided by Nkunku, who revived a lifeless Milan side; and there is Max Allegri’s expression at the end of the match, driving away the tension and residue of the past week, and probably of the past two months as well. Let’s relive the victory at Marassi point by point.
Keep going on...
Gerry Cardinale has been a major figure in Milan’s recent days: first with words, then with actions. And that in itself is already a small (though still insufficient) upgrade compared to what has been seen over these four years. There have been many statements since he became Milan’s owner, but in practical terms it cannot be said that the American executive has been particularly present. Today, however, he landed early in the morning in Genoa on a flight from London and wanted to be at Marassi to follow the match closely. As soon as he arrived, he went into the dressing room with Furlani and Tare to fire up the team. At the end of the match, he went back down to the group again and congratulated them, reminding them to keep going and finish the job: “Keep going on.” Certainly, the disagreements and the club’s problems cannot simply be wiped away with a sponge, but a small signal was sent.
Nkunku's spark:
There is no better word to describe the impact Christopher Nkunku has had on Milan in the last two matches. Coming on when the game was already decided against Atalanta a week ago, he won the penalty that he then scored, and nearly dragged the Rossoneri back to a draw in a match they had lost. Today he started, helped by Leão’s suspension, and he was Milan’s best player. At the Ferraris too, he was the one who shook awake a Milan side that once again seemed trapped in its usual heaviness.
In matches like these, where Serie A games often remain alive until the final minutes and momentum can swing suddenly, anyone following late-game markets or choosing to login Onjabet site during Milan’s closing stages would have understood how quickly one decisive moment can change the entire reading of a match.
Nkunku sensed Amorim’s mistake and swooped onto the ball like a hawk, drawing a foul from Bijlow rushing out, before calmly sending him the wrong way from the penalty spot. He is now on seven goals this season, with five penalties scored out of five taken: certainly not yet the return expected from a €38 million player, but there are flashes of promise, and that could be a good omen for next weekend or for next season.
Max Allegri's fighting spirit:
Also because of statements that always try to lower the temperature and avoid fuelling controversy, the impression many get of Max Allegri is that of a coach who can easily detach himself from surrounding events. And, as always, the pitch promptly disproves that partial view. Last Sunday, more than ever. At the final whistle of the Genoa-Milan fixture, Allegri unleashed the fighting spirit of his best days, with an angry grin and embraces with the bench staff as well as with the players he met on the way towards the tunnel leading to the dressing room. Last Sunday, Max let go not only of the tension from the match, but also of everything he has absorbed throughout the season, acting as a shield for the players. A competitive ferocity that can only fire up both the coach and the team ahead of the next commitment. Because next week Milan absolutely must do their duty, they have to beat Cagliari. Otherwise, Sunday's fixture and the entire season will have been thrown away.
