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Continuing the unbeaten streak in a nice fashion has lead to suggestions that AC Milan could actually be higher achievers than the Champions League.
Throughout this season, Massimiliano Allegri has constantly stated that Milan are aiming for a Champions League place this season. Of course, there have been suggestions that they can aim higher.
In fact, Allegri has suggested that the team can see where they are in May. However, the baseline for this team is a return to Europe at a minimum.
Capello’s Scudetto claim
Had they lost against Bologna, the gap to Inter at the top of the league would’ve been eight points. Nevertheless, three goals equalled three points and the gap remains at five points, which is still a large mountain to overcome.
With that said, though, they are not out of the Scudetto fight. There is another Derby della Madonnina to play, and the Nerazzurri still have a packed calendar. Stranger things have certainly happened, and Fabio Capello is not ruling out the Rossoneri, as he stated in his editorial piece for Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Rather than a “short nose”… This time, in Bologna, Milan allowed itself a winning evening by a “long snout”. Dall’Ara’s 3-0 showed a team that played with great personality, without problems in defense and immune to any opportunity from Bologna.
“The Rossoneri showed off an obvious tranquillity that sometimes also seemed sufficient for a result that could also be wider, given the dominance of the game.
“Last night I was impressed by the ease with which the Rossoneri managed to go to the goal, certainly in the face of an opposing defence that was too messy and easy to beat. And I also seem to see a certain conviction in the plays, which must be emphasised.
“The series of 22 games in Serie A without defeat, then, means that the defence knows how to do its job, that the goalkeeper directs well – we know how great Maignan is – and that Milan also has excellent management in midfield.
“In this regard, I liked the beautiful dialogue that I glimpsed on a couple of occasions between Rabiot and Modric: it is no coincidence that they are so important to this group. When they turn, the whole team turns.
“Allegri will continue to say that it is important to get to the four who qualify for the Champions League, and I agree with him, but seeing how the Rossoneri’s results are maturing… Inter is ahead, of course, but why not aim for first place?
“It is still possible to have as a goal the qualification in the Champions League, knowing, however, that there is also something higher: it would be foolish not to consider it. All the more so taking into account the fact that there is only the championship in the Rossoneri calendar.
“Until the results arrive… Inter has the strength of a great squad, and it is more difficult for them to have significant drops, it is true, but in Allegri’s group, the desire and determination are there.
“Just over the middle of the season, this team reached a certain maturity: yesterday, they defended the lead by turning the ball and never allowing the danger to grow.
“It means that there is a certain mentality and a winning way of thinking. The first half, in particular, last night was overwhelming. Bologna started well, but it was really too elementary. He allowed Milan to pass the half of the field and go to the goal every time they got possession of the ball: already before the advantage, the Rossoneri had managed to get in front of the goal three times.
“And then an absolutely inconsistent and unbalanced defence for the Rossoblù, with too elementary ideas forward. They tried to spin the ball, but never a dribble and always little weight in the area.
“A completely different story is Milan, which has always found the possibility of making itself dangerous even finding itself in numerical superiority on some occasions. On paper it wasn’t a very easy game for Allegri to pack, but if Maignan never had to make a save for the whole first half…
“Max has deployed a team convinced of what it does and able to use the bands intelligently, a symptom of excellent preparation.”
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