Milan conjures up a Kanter victory

Milan remains close to rivals Lazio and Inter in the race for the Champions League places. The success on Saturday evening puts the “Rossoneri” in position, but they have to hope for help in the coming games.

20 May 2023

From: do

After the disappointing elimination in the Champions League semi-finals against city rivals Inter, there was no sadness to be seen at Milan on Saturday evening. Rafael Leao, Brahim Diaz and Olivier Giroud, who were responsible for the attack and who ultimately scored a hat-trick, played their opponents in the 5-1 win over Sampdoria Genoa, which was already as Relegated to Serie B fixed, at times more than dizzy. The South Tyrolean Manuel De Luca sat on the bench for the guests throughout the game.

The “Rossoneri” played forward against Sampdoria with a lot of joy from the start. Leao and Diaz, who remained somewhat pale in the Champions League, repeatedly worked their way impressively through the opposing defense and were involved in all three goals in the first 45 minutes - two of which were scored by veteran Olivier Giroud (23rd and 29th), the other the Portuguese himself (9th). The only shocking moment for Stefano Pioli and Co. came when Fabio Quagliarella made it 20-1 out of nowhere in the 1th minute. But from then on things went in the other direction in the first half.

Olivier Giroud sank a penalty to make it 3-1 for Milan. © ANSA / MATTEO BAZZI

Even after the restart, the mood on the pitch did not change. One person in particular tirelessly pursued his hat-trick mission: Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman was denied several times from good positions by Nicolo Raviglia in the Genoese goal, but he did not lose sight of his goal. After Diaz made it 4-1 (63'), the time had come. The Frenchman took a cross from Leao in the penalty area and poked the ball over the line at the second attempt to make it 3-1 for his first hat trick in the Rossoneri's guise. Milan were content with that and the game ended 5-1.

The results

Cremonese – Bologna 1:5
Goals: 0:1 Arnautovic (14th), 0:2 Ferguson (27th), 0:3 Posch (45th), 0:4 Orsolini (62nd), 0:5 Sansone (80th), 1:5 Ciofani (90+1)

Atalanta – Hellas Verona 3:1
Goals: 0:1 Lazovic (11th), 1:1 Zappacosta (22nd), 2:1 Pasalic (53rd), 3:1 Hojlund (62nd)

Milan – Sampdoria 5-1
Goals: 1:0 Leao (9th), 1:1 Quagliarella (20th), 2:1 Giroud (23rd), 3:1 Giroud (29th), 4:1 Diaz (63rd), 5:1 Giroud (68.)

The table

	SP	G	U	V	TV	P
1. Naples	36	27	5	4	73:26	86
2. Lazio	36	20	8	8	55:28	68
3. Inter	36	21	3	12	67:40	66
4.Milan	36	18	10	8	60:42	64
5. Atalanta	36	18	7	11	59:43	61
6. Roma	36	17	9	10	47:35	60
7. Juventus	36	21	6	9	55:32	59
8.Monza	36	14	10	12	46:46	52
9.Bologna	36	13	11	12	48:45	50
10. Torino	36	13	11	12	38:40	50
11. Fiorentina	36	13	11	12	48:41	50
12.Udinese	36	11	13	12	45:44	46
13. Sassuolo	36	12	8	16	44:56	44
14. Empoli	36	10	12	14	36:46	42
15. Salernitana	36	8	15	13	45:58	39
16. Lecce	36	7	12	17	30:43	33
17. Specia	36	6	13	17	30:56	31
18. Hellas Verona	36	7	9	20	29:55	30
19. Cremonese	36	4	12	20	32:66	24
20. Sampdoria	36	3	9	24	22:67	18