The advance of the seventeenth matchday of the championship saw the Rossoneri play quietly in the first half, also due to the muscular problem suffered by the Portuguese. In the second half, however, a brilliant tip from Fofana allowed the Dutchman to score the decisive goal
Verona and Milan, teams in two completely opposite situations, challenged each other in a match in which the host Zanetti wanted to close the external corridors to the opponents with a five-man midfield. Fonseca, for his part, focused on Terracciano in the middle of the field and on Jimenez as left back. The Portuguese coach's idea was to move Reijnders further forward, but the Dutchman fell too far back due to lack of supplies.
But the first real emotion came around the half-hour mark, when Chukwueze's misplaced clearance was collected by Suslov, who flew forward and stimulated Maignan's reflexes with a nice left-footed shot. Shortly afterwards, a muscle injury ended Leao's game, which had been quite lively until then. In his place came Theo Hernandez, who initially occupied the midfield position. And the best chance for the guests came in the 40th minute from the foot of Terracciano, whose shot from twenty meters was put for a corner by Montipò.
The second half started with Milan more eager to change the situation, as evident in Jimenez's cut on the other side for Chukwueze, on which, however, Lazovic's excellent diagonal slowed down the ball's flow, then facilitating Montipò's rebound. But the Rossoneri had taken control, and after ten minutes Fofana invented a vertical low shot that mocked the entire Venetian defense, inspiring Reijnders, whose cut was followed by a first-time shot that put the guests ahead.
More relaxed and convinced, Milan then pushed for the second goal, with Jimenez challenging Montipò with his left foot in the 64th minute. Fonseca, aware of having to maintain the lead, sent Chukwueze out to introduce Calabria twenty minutes from time, but the substitution gave confidence to the home team, who ten minutes from time saw Livramento close to equalizing after a nice vertical tracer to slip between the opposing shirts.
But it was the last attempt by Zanetti's team, which had almost never scared Maignan. The narrow triumph still brings Milan two points behind Juve, currently sixth. And it still means an awakening for the Rossoneri, who however will have to see what the real extent of Leao's injury is.
