Speaking of last night's game, I have mixed feelings. As a die-hard Milan fan, watching AC Milan lose 1-2 at home to Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals was uncomfortable. Stefano Pioli's strategy this time is really puzzling, the whole squad looks like an experiment, and the youngsters seem inexperienced. And the referee's two penalty decisions are even more controversial.
The opening fast-paced confrontation, both sides showed a strong desire to score. Te'o's inverted triangle pass, Leao's goal, at that moment I almost thought we were going to take the initiative in the game. But Atalanta's counter-attacks were fast and efficient, and our defence always seemed to be a beat slower.
The turn of events in the second half was unexpected. Jimenez's foul, which resulted in a penalty, gave Atalanta the lead again. Judging from the replay, Jimenez clearly touched the ball first, and the decision was controversial. At the last moment of the game, Simic's header hit the opponent's arm, but VAR was silent, and the referee did not give us the last corner kick opportunity, and directly blew the final whistle. As a fan, I felt a little helpless and angry.
In this campaign, we not only suffered elimination, but also many main players were seriously overdrawn. Gabya's injury has made our centre-back position even worse. In our next game against Roma, the pressure is understandable.
StillLook at it from another angle, the elimination of the Italian Cup is not a good thing. Given the depth of the Rossoneri's current squad, we are already struggling to support a third-tier operation. Focusing on the league may be better for us to challenge for the top four.
This game left us with too many regrets and thoughts. Hopefully, Milan can learn from this and adjust their form to meet the challenges ahead. I also hope that the injured will contribute to the team as soon as possible. Finally, I wish Atalanta a lot in the next games, they really deserve respect for their performance last night.