The start of the new Serie A season was bittersweet for Milan fans, who saw their team suffer a surprise home defeat at the San Siro stadium to newly promoted Cremonese. Despite Milan's reputation as one of the giants of Italian football and the leadership of expert coach Massimiliano Allegri, the red and black team failed to convert their dominance into results. Milan had 24 shots to their visitors' 4, but only 6 of them found the target. 64 percent possession and a 9-2 corner kick ratio were not enough to change the outcome of the match.
Cremonese managed to score twice, first through Federico Baschiroto, and then through a Eurogoal by Federico Bonacoli, taking the advantage and securing a surprise victory at the “San Siro”. The only goal for Milan was scored by Serbian defender Pavlovic at the end of the first half. The absence of striker Leao, injured, is considered a minus, but not an excuse for such a defeat. The debuts of the day were also outstanding: Luka Modric played as a starter and was considered among the best on the field, while Ardon Jashari, the Albanian of Switzerland, debuted as a substitute in the 74th minute.
The Italian sports media did not spare criticism: “La Gazzetta dello Sport” writes: “Milan does not exist! Cremonese strike at San Siro!” While “Il Corriere dello Sport” focuses on Napoli’s victory and highlights Milan’s difficulties after Bonacoli’s Eurogoal. Allegri said after the match: “You can’t concede goals like that!”
Fans and pundits will be paying close attention to Milan's next challenge, at Lecce, next Friday, to see if the club's investments under Igli Tare's leadership will pay off and improve the team's performance.
