AC Milan suffer shock 2-1 Serie A defeat to promoted Cremonese at San Siro
AC Milan suffer shock 2-1 Serie A defeat to promoted Cremonese at San Siro AC Milan's Serie A campaign got off to the worst possible start as they fell to a stunning 2-1 home defeat against newly-promoted Cremonese on Saturday. The Rossoneri dominated large periods of the encounter but were undone by defensive lapses and crucial mistakes that allowed their opponents to claim a memorable victory at the iconic San Siro stadium.
Despite enjoying territorial advantage for much of the contest, Milan's vulnerabilities at the back proved costly as Cremonese capitalized on their limited opportunities to secure only their second Serie A triumph at the famous Milanese venue in the club's history.
The hosts thought they had taken an early lead when Santiago Gimenez found the net, but his celebration was cut short as the goal was chalked off for an offside infringement. The disallowed strike would prove to be a sign of things to come for a Milan side that struggled to convert their dominance into concrete results.
Cremonese showed no signs of being overawed by their illustrious opponents and created the first genuine threat of the match when Federico Bonazzoli forced goalkeeper Mike Maignan into a spectacular full-length save to preserve the deadlock.
The visitors' persistence paid dividends in the 28th minute when Milan's concentration lapsed at a crucial moment. A Cremonese corner kick was initially cleared but only as far as Alessio Zerbin, who demonstrated quick thinking by whipping the ball back into the danger zone. Federico Baschirotto was left completely unmarked and made no mistake with a thunderous header that flew past Maignan to give the underdogs a shock lead.
Milan's response came in the dying moments of the first half when Pervis Estupinan provided the inspiration with a moment of individual brilliance. The full-back sprinted to the byline before delivering a perfectly weighted chip over the Cremonese defensive line, allowing Strahinja Pavlovic the simplest of tasks to nod home the equalizer from point-blank range.
The second half began with Milan showing renewed intensity as they launched wave after wave of attacks on the Cremonese goal, buoyed by the passionate support of their home faithful. However, visiting goalkeeper Emil Audero produced a string of outstanding saves to keep the hosts at bay and maintain his team's hopes of an upset.
Just as Milan appeared to be seizing control of proceedings, Cremonese delivered the decisive blow in the 61st minute through a moment of pure magic. Giuseppe Pezzella's high delivery into the penalty area found Bonazzoli in space, and the striker responded with a breathtaking overhead kick that silenced the San Siro crowd and secured a famous victory for the promoted side.
The defeat represents a significant setback for Milan's early season ambitions and raises questions about their defensive organization ahead of what promises to be a challenging campaign. Meanwhile, Cremonese's triumph will give them enormous confidence as they attempt to establish themselves in Italy's top flight.
Elsewhere in Saturday's action, AS Roma provided a more encouraging start to their Serie A journey with a solid 1-0 home victory over Bologna. The capital club gave new manager Gian Piero Gasperini the perfect beginning to his tenure as Wesley Franca's 53rd-minute strike proved enough to secure all three points at the Stadio Olimpico.
SportsLigue