Milan 2-2 Verona Changed Team Changes Nothing

Milan Verona

Even taking into account the long injury list it was normal to question Pippo Inzaghi starting Mexes, Muntari and Pazzini when Bocchetti, van Ginkel and Destro were available on the bench. It was also as questionable to revert back to a formation that moved Bonaventura back to the side when he did reasonably well in a more central attacking role the weeks before.

Current Milan injury list, via Gazzetta

Current Milan injury list, via Gazzetta

The start wasn’t the poorest and Milan were easily the more dangerous. Pazzini troubled Verona at least twice early on. Verona’s best early chance came when Jacopo Sala shot low and just wide. Verona started to come on more. Soon after Muntari stuck his foot in and brought down Artur Ionita, Luca Toni converted the penalty. Two minutes later Cerci had a good shout for penalty turned down, replays showed it was 50-50 at best. Milan did continue to question the Verona defense but otherwise the quality was poor, whether it be defending or creating clear cut chances. As the first half was winding down with little to show for Menez converted a penalty after Mexes was brought down by Bosko Jankovic near the top of the box after a questionable freekick.
Early in the second a scramble in the Verona box allowed Mexes to shoot in from a close range tight angle that was almost a deflected own goal. Ball possession remained very good but creativity with it was not enough. Honda replaced Cerci in the 64th minute. A few minutes later a Verona counter ended with a Panagiotis Tachtsidis shot which beat Lopez but rebounded off the crossbar. In the 77th minute Pippo Inzaghi somewhat surprisingly took out Pazzini for Bocchetti. Adding another defender for a center forward was surely too negative a move to make and no one was 100% sure what thee formation was anyway. Menez continued to showcase his selfishness too as he hung to the ball too long. In the final minutes Verona coach Andrea Mandorlini was sent off, Destro was a late sub for Menez. Muntari almost gifted Verona a goal. Very late on Nico Lopez scored to make it 2-2, a simple case of poor team play. Also, Honda wasted a last second free kick. Two more points dropped.

More about the match in the match thread