💪 Milan win at Verona, Champions League close, Leão row? 😱 | OneFootball

Milan played poorly and struggled, but still came away with three crucial points in the race for next season’s Champions League. To beat a solid Verona side, Rabiot’s goal just before halftime was enough, with a decisive contribution from Leão. Rafa is still a long way from the levels he once showed, but at least today’s assist brings a bit of calm back around the Portuguese forward, who, however, did not seem happy at all to leave the pitch when he was substituted. On the bench, the No. 10 then asked Allegri’s staff for an explanation.

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It was not a good Milan, as we were saying, and probably without a brilliant Gabbia we would be talking about a disappointing draw. Hellas, however, confirmed they are a team that struggles badly to score, and so the 1-0 is more than enough for Allegri to put a firm foot in the door for qualification to Europe’s top competition.

Como’s defeat at Sassuolo, in fact, puts the Diavolo eight points clear of fifth place, a gap that gives them a certain peace of mind ahead of the direct clash with Juventus.

Milan are back in second, and it matters little if they were far from brilliant. Today the Rossoneri had to win, and they did not slip up.

🔚 FULL TIME: VERONA-MILAN 0-1

👀 Saelemaekers can’t finish it off!

Huge chance for Milan, who in the 90th minute came within millimeters of putting the game to bed. Gimenez led the counterattack and picked out Bartesaghi. 

The full-back’s cross was poor, but after the Hellas defense cleared it, the ball fell to Ricci, who struck it powerfully. Another block followed, but this time Saelemaekers curled it well and beat Montipò! On the line, though, Valentini stopped it!

👏 Monumental Gabbia!

Milan are suffering badly, and in the 84th minute they came closer than ever to conceding the equalizer! The Rossoneri were distracted and badly positioned, and Verona managed to work the ball into the middle of the box to Orban!

The Verona striker only had to hit the target, but Gabbia produced a miraculous sliding clearance for a corner and celebrated it like a goal!

❌⚽️ Gabbia scores, but it’s offside!

Gabbia is back and on the scoresheet, and in the 74th minute he would have doubled Milan’s lead from a perfect Saelemaekers cross. Everything is stopped, though, and not because of the defender’s position. 

The offside is on Gimenez, who challenged Valentini in the build-up while in an offside position! So it doesn’t count, and Milan must hold firm for these final 15 minutes!

💥 Verona inches from 1-1!

Watch out for Hellas, who came close to equalizing in the 70th minute through Vermesan!

The 2006-born player unleashed a curling right-footed shot that went just wide of the post to Maignan’s left, and the keeper might not have reached it! A warning from Verona, and not the first...

🔚 Leão’s game is over

The week’s most talked-about player ended his match in the 64th minute. Rafa Leão made way for Gimenez, but only after providing what has so far been the decisive assist!

As he came off, the group of Milan fans behind Allegri’s bench cheered the Portuguese on, but he asked the staff why he had been taken off. In short, Rafa did not want to come off!

Athekame and Fofana also went off, with the latter due to a physical problem. From the initial signs, it seems to be a muscle issue in his right hamstring.

❗️ Whistles aimed at Maignan, prosecutor’s intervention requested

At the start of the second half, Maignan was whistled by a large part of the home crowd. Dazn sideline reporter Marco Russo explained what happened in more detail:

"When Maignan went toward the goal beneath the Verona stand, he was met with whistles and more from the home crowd. The Frenchman asked for Chiffi’s intervention. The fourth official, Massimi, instructed the prosecutor present on the touchline and Verona’s staff to proceed with the announcement to stop the incident. Before requesting the announcement, the prosecutor wanted to clarify the nature of those whistles".

💥 THE SECOND HALF IS UNDERWAY

🧱 Maignan DECISIVE!

It took a Magic Mike to allow Milan to keep their lead going into the break!

The French goalkeeper produced a miraculous stop off his line in the 45+2nd minute, denying Belghali!

⚽️ Rabiot!! 1-0 Milan

Out of nowhere, after a first half of rare ugliness, Milan broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, and did so in one of the first moves where they managed to play vertically.

Rabiot and Leão made it all happen, with the Frenchman starting the counterattack by finding Rafa. The Portuguese moved forward, waited for his teammate’s run, and picked him out with a perfect ball. Rabiot beat Montipò off his line and found the corner!

🥱 Rabiot chance, but what a dull game...

Milan chance in the 32nd minute, with Pulisic finding Fofana, who in turn slipped Rabiot through.

The Frenchman got a right-footed shot away, but it caused no problems for Montipò. The match has been completely stuck so far, with few chances and no excitement.

🤏 Leão denied!

Rafa involved right away in the 2nd minute! Gabbia launched it toward Pulisic, who tried to dink it through to Leão! The move was nice, but Montipò came out and smothered it all!

First warning from the Rossoneri in a very quiet start at the Bentegodi.

❗️ VERONA-MILAN IS UNDERWAY ❗️

🗣️ Tare: "Allegri? He has a long contract with us"

Before the match, Milan sporting director Igli Tare spoke to Dazn and gave an update on Allegri’s future:

“There’s not much to say about Max, he has done a great job this year. He still has a long contract with Milan. The most important thing for us right now is to achieve our objectives, and then sit down together with Ibrahimovic and Furlani as well to try to build a winning project for next season".

The official lineups

VERONA (3-5-2): Montipò; Edmundsson, Nelsson, Valentini; Oyegoke, Akpa Akpro, Gagliardini, Bernede, Belghali; Bradarić, Orban.

MILAN (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Athekame, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi ; Pulisic, Leão.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 PIERO CRUCIATTI - AFP or licensors