Pippo Picks Up Where He Left Off; Milan Lift Berlusconi Trophy

Despite the facts that a)it’s technically and friendly, and b)there’s a superstition that whoever wins it won’t win the Scudetto, the Luigi Berlusconi Trophy remains a big match — a fact to which the nearly full San Siro testified — and Milan have to be quite pleased with their 2-0 win, flattering scoreline or not.

Like they did during the triangular tournaments over the past week or so, Juve were aggressive and periodically effective in attack, but failed to trouble Dida terribly much and, in the end, were let down by their defense. (That whole “rebuilding” thing doesn’t see to have gone quite as well as Claudio Ranieri had hoped.) Milan, too, went forward well, with Andrea Pirlo his usual effective self, and Clarence Seedorf delighting early in playing the free role usually occupied by the absent Ricky Kaka. Eventually, Pippo Inzaghi got two-too-many chances and put them away, thanks first to a Domenico Criscito mistake and then to a well-worked corner.

From what I’ve watched so far (the game is available on demand to residents of the US at seriea.tv), it was basically a good, final warm-up match between two teams who, with the exception of periodic bouts of loose passing, are ready for the season to start (you could tell because Alberto Gilardino didn’t do anything, and Vicenzo Iaquinta spent a lot of time making “Why me?” faces). Also, Alex Del Piero was just abusing Milan, which was a bit frightening to see, since their backline isn’t exactly made up of a bunch of hacks, even when Paolo Maldini isn’t around.

Category: AC Milan, Juventus, Results, Serie A

Tags: AC Milan, Berlusconi Trophy, del Piero, Inzaghi, Juventus, Results, Serie A

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