MILAN, Italy, Jan 12, 2025 (BSS/AFP) – AC Milan experienced a disappointing start to life under new manager Sergio Conceicao, as the Rossoneri managed only a 1-1 stalemate against the struggling Cagliari during his debut at the famed San Siro. Meanwhile, Juventus found themselves entrenched in another tense derby, finishing level at 1-1 against city rivals Torino.
Conceicao, who earned instant acclaim among the Milan faithful by clinching the Italian Super Cup against Inter Milan in a thrilling encounter held in Saudi Arabia, witnessed the crowd’s jubilation swiftly turn into discontent as his side delivered a lacklustre performance on home turf.
“I’ve been coaching for 13 years, and considering the talent at my disposal, the first half today might have been the worst I’ve ever witnessed,” Conceicao lamented to Sky Sports. “The second half showed improvement, yet we squandered countless opportunities in front of goal… Drawing today feels just like a loss because we’ve let two precious points slip away.”
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Milan Stumbles to 1-1 Stalemate Against Struggling Cagliari in Conceicao’s Debut
A slip from goalkeeper Mike Maignan allowed a harmless shot from Nadir Zortea to slip through, gifting Cagliari an equaliser mere minutes after the restart. Zortea’s effort nullified the excitement generated earlier when Alvaro Morata neatly tapped in after a brilliant save from Cagliari’s Elia Caprile and the woodwork denied Christian Pulisic.
Currently positioned eighth in the table, Milan finds themselves trailing fourth-placed Lazio by eight points as they prepare to face Como in one of their two games in hand on Tuesday. The hosts struggled to replicate any sort of attacking prowess reminiscent of necessary standards, an issue that persisted since the departure of Conceicao’s predecessor, Paulo Fonseca. Had it not been for some exceptional goalkeeping from Caprile, who thwarted clear chances from Pulisic and Tammy Abraham, Milan might have been fretting over a heavier scoreline.
In the other fixture, Torino’s Nikola Vlasic salvaged a point in stoppage time, hammering in a stunning strike that crashed in off the post, after Juventus had initially taken the lead through Kenan Yildiz’s eighth-minute goal. Despite still remaining unbeaten this season, the draw marked the 12th stalemate for Thiago Motta’s side, who now find themselves three points adrift of Champions League qualification.
Juventus have drawn six of their past seven matches, and upcoming clashes against Milan and Atalanta present them with crucial opportunities to climb the table. “After we scored, we adopted a defensive approach, and they began creating dangerous chances by simply tossing the ball into our box,” Motta explained post-match. “We need to embrace a more aggressive mindset; our attacking efforts fell short today.”
The evening became even more tumultuous at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, with both coaches, Motta and Paolo Vanoli, receiving marching orders following a heated discussion on the sidelines just ten minutes following the break. Motta will now serve a suspension for the upcoming clash against title rivals Atalanta.
Meanwhile, Atalanta’s hopes of climbing higher were dashed as they could only manage a goalless draw against Udinese. A win would have seen them leap over Napoli in the standings, who face Verona on Sunday. Inter Milan now has the chance to take second place from Atalanta if they win against Venezia.
Frustration loomed large for Atalanta, seeking their first-ever Serie A title, as they created scant chances throughout the fixture and were fortunate not to concede. Alexis Sanchez was notably unlucky, hitting the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds just before halftime.
Gasperini, Atalanta’s coach, commented, “They were more intense than us. We struggled throughout the first half, and it’s evident we were lucky to escape without a defeat.” Meanwhile, Lecce’s Nikola Krstovic shone a light of hope for survival with a brace in a 3-1 triumph over Empoli, pushing Marco Giampaolo’s squad two points clear of the relegation zone.
