AC Milan took advantage of some of the head-to-head clashes in the battle for the European places over the weekend, and now fourth is just six points away.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes this morning, Sergio Conceiçao and Milan will not give up, not when they go behind during games nor now that they want to try and get into Europe by climbing the league.
The weekend gave a hand to the Portuguese coach and the team: a second (hard-fought) consecutive victory in the league saw the gap to the UCL places shrink by two points. Eight days ago it was an 11-point margin, now it is sixth, and even if the Rossoneri remain ninth it provides a boost.
A glimpse behind the curtain
You can also tell from the details, from that photo taken in the dressing room, with all the players celebrating. It is not a routine, but a snapshot that is taken only in the case of important wins.
The one against Como is considered significant for how it came about and for the reaction at the moment of maximum difficulty. The players consider it an affirmation resulting from the unity and compactness of the group.
If it will be the turning point of the season we will only know after the break, in the away match against Napoli. Milan feel a bit alone against everyone, as Rafael Leao admitted after the Lazio loss.
The toxic atmosphere at San Siro continued during the game over the weekend and it would be enough to see most groups – especially those in difficulty – collapse under the pressure. Yet, this climate of siege produced yet another comeback.
Magic six
Under Conceiçao, starting badly, recovering and celebrating after the final whistle is becoming a habit. Saturday it happened for the sixth time since the Portuguese coach sits on the bench.
The double comeback against Juve and Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana was a sort of preview of what would then happen in the league where there were four more comebacks: against Parma, Lecce and Como, both in the first and second games.
It is too many to be a coincidence. One can discuss the team’s wrong approach to matches, on an attention that not everyone puts in the defensive phase or that in any case is not enough to avoid going behind. Certainly, however, this Milan knows how to play to the end.
The essence of ‘grinta’
In terms of the desire to fight and never give up, the group are acquiring Conceiçao’s DNA, who has put a lot of himself into these comebacks. Not only in terms of motivation, but also in terms of tactical moves.
On Saturday he brought Youssouf Fofana and Tammy Abraham on in the second half who made the difference. Against Lecce he played the Rafael Leao card, who was decisive in going from 0-2 to 3-2.
Against Parma he fished Samuel Chukwueze from the bench, author of the 3-2 goal, while in the Supercoppa he overcame Inter thanks to Leao and Abraham who came on as substitutes.
So, Milan can continue to dream of a place in the next European Cups. Maybe in the Champions League, with plenty of points to play for.
