GdS: 19th shot, first goal – Gimenez off the mark after difficult start to season

One of the brightest bits of AC Milan’s Coppa Italia win over Lecce was the man who got his name on the scoreboard first: Santiago Gimenez.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, it looked like being another doomed night for Gimenez, but in the end the long-awaited goal arrived and he finally broke his duck for the season.

Beforehand, however, the Mexican once again missed some rather simple chances, but he absolutely couldn’t miss an open goal following a perfect cross from Davide Bartesaghi. His first goal of the season came on his 19th shot in all competitions.

Troubles to celebrations

When the goal went in, all his team-mates seemed to celebrate that little bit more, even those in the stands. Rafael Leao immediately dedicated an Instagram story to him with the caption ‘Let’s go, brother’.

Gimenez hadn’t scored since May 9th, when he scored a brace against Bologna at San Siro in the league, a few days before the Coppa Italia final. His summer wasn’t easy, as it’s no secret that Milan tried to sell him until almost the last minute (in a swap deal with Roma for Dovbyk), but in the end he stayed.

In the first few games, Santiago seemed unsettled and rather disheartened, so much so that he missed a few easy chances. Yesterday, his first goal of the season finally arrived, and the hope is that he can kick on from here.

After the game, Santi spoke to Mediaset and said: “I’ve often come close, but the ball wouldn’t go in. For a striker, a goal is crucial. Now that the first one has arrived, I know there will be more to come.

“Thank God I’m here, at the team of my dreams, the one I’ve supported since I was a child. From the first second I arrived, I felt fulfilled and I never thought about leaving.”