“All’s well that ends well,” as the old saying goes. It wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly better than the disaster Milan experienced against Lecce for over an hour – 68 minutes to be exact. That’s how long it took until Gallo’s own goal reopened a match that seemed tragically closed (for Milan) by Krstovic’s two goals. However, Milan recovered.
They won thanks to the decisive contribution of Leao, who was surprisingly left on the bench for the first half. The victory, secured by Pulisic’s brace – cool on the penalty and acrobatic on the third goal – allowed them to overtake Roma in the standings.
It was another “last chance” situation, becoming almost routine this season for Milan. The feeling remains that Milan’s problems are more external than internal. And that says a lot.
Before escaping defeat in Lecce, it was clear that Sergio Conceicao had risked more than just being fired due to his (former) spokesman’s careless messages. He had come close to being dismissed for just cause. The difficulty of the last 48 hours was also evident in his appearance. The “face office” (made famous by the late great journalist Beppe Viola) couldn’t miss the Portuguese coach’s worried look, with a beard more unkempt than usual. These were clear signs of a man, more than a coach, in serious trouble.
With the victory against Lecce, a perfect summary of Milan’s contradictions this season, Conceicao is on the edge but then recovers and moves towards the Coppa Italia semi-final. It will be another last chance. The umpteenth. The important thing is that it does not become yet another show of strength against Rafa Leao, whose benching in the first half against Lecce seemed the most absurd thing in an absurd season.