AC Milan, fresh from its defeat in Sassuolo, is on stage in Verona at the Bentegodi stadium against Maran’s Chievo to continue dreaming of third place in the standings.
Race immediately lively: ready to go and it is Bertolacci who immediately responds to Radovanovic. They have to pass 12 minutes to observe the first Rossoneri attempt with Menez, good at finding space in the area but Dainelli opposes his conclusion. In the 18th minute Donnaruma is injured in a clash with Floro Flores and is forced off, in his place Mihajlovic chooses Abbiati.
The newcomer immediately came to the fore, fending off a diagonal pass from Floro Flores. The match runs on a tightrope but the game is low on emotion. Milan, with Mihajlovic in the stands due to disqualification, could not get to grips with the Clivenese defensive web, adept at shutting down the slow-motion flurries of Bacca and his teammates. The only flame is lit by the usual Menez but his teammates do not take advantage of the Frenchman’s flair. Chievo is always lurking: Meggiorini has a chance on his foot to make it 1-0 but, launched at speed, gets hypnotized by a miraculous Abbiati.
In the second half, it is Chievo that starts better but Milan is more dangerous with a Bonaventura conclusion just high. The Rossoneri seem more convinced, the Clivens wait for the right opening. Like in the eighth when Birsa, on a throw-in, engages Abbiati, Milan’s best so far. Bacca immediately answers, breakaway, ball on the outside of the net. Milan presses on the accelerator and for the first time in the match puts the clivense rearguard in trouble. Milan’s second change, Adriano in for Menez in the 14th minute. On the quarter-hour mark, free kick from the edge for Milan, nothing done.
The Rossoneri always miss the last pass, reasoning that Bizzarri is more of a spectator than anything else. Maran inserts Pepe for Birsa. On the half-hour, luck turns its back on Milan when Abate first, and on the rebound Bertolacci, hit two resounding woodpeckers in the same action. The final thrill bears the signature of Cacciatore: the defender takes off on Pepe’s cross, ball in the net but the referee cancels for offside. At the Bentegodi it ends 0-0.