Inter’s commanding 2-0 victory over Genoa on Saturday had seemingly slammed the door on any lingering Scudetto ambitions for AC Milan, pushing the Rossoneri a daunting 13 points behind their city rivals. With the Derby della Madonnina looming next weekend, many wondered if Milan’s title chase was teetering on the brink of collapse.
Yet, football can change in mere moments. On Sunday, Milan dug deep to snatch a dramatic 2-0 win at Cremonese, keeping their fading trophy hopes alive and clawing back within 10 points of Inter.
Surprising resistance: Cremonese stand tall in the first half
The first half at the Stadio Giovanni Zini was anything but a walk in the park for the visitors. Cremonese, despite languishing near the bottom of the table and without a league win since December 7, looked energized by memories of their shock victory at San Siro on the opening day. Federico Bonazzoli nearly gave the hosts a dream start, flicking wide in the 26th minute, while Jamie Vardy missed a golden chance just moments later.
Milan, eager to shake off a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Parma the previous week, carved out chances of their own. Youssouf Fofana delivered a sublime through-ball to Rafael Leao, but the Portuguese forward fired agonizingly wide. By halftime, both sides had created promising opportunities, yet neither had found the breakthrough.
Second-half shift: Leao and the numbers game
As the second half unfolded, Milan's weight of possession and attacking intent became clear. With every surge forward, the red-and-black faithful sensed a turning of the tide. Leao, always a threat on the left flank, saw another decent sight of goal slip away, while Fofana’s drive was repelled by Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero.
The statistics painted a vivid picture:
- Milan racked up 20 shots, putting serious pressure on the hosts’ defense
- Their expected goals (xG) reached a hefty 3.51, compared to Cremonese’s 0.99
- This offensive intensity contrasted sharply with Cremonese's early bursts
Still, frustration lingered as the minutes ticked down. Would history repeat itself? Milan had not managed an away league goal against Cremonese since 1993, when Jean-Pierre Papin and Marco Simone found the net in a 2-0 win—the whispers of another goalless outing seemed to swirl.
Last-gasp heroics: Pavlovic and Leao break the curse
With only minutes to spare, Milan found their moment. In the 89th minute, crafty play from Luka Modric and Koni De Winter set up Strahinja Pavlovic, who muscled the ball over the line for the long-awaited breakthrough. Relief and ecstasy for the traveling supporters—Milan had finally breached the Zini fortress after decades of frustration.
That wasn’t the end. As Cremonese threw bodies forward in desperate pursuit of an equalizer, Milan struck again on the counter. Christopher Nkunku squared unselfishly, leaving Leao to sweep home a simple finish in stoppage time, sealing a vital and symbolic 2-0 victory.
This win offers more than just points. It strengthens Milan’s grip on second place, stretching their lead to four points over Napoli, with a healthy nine-point cushion over fifth-placed Como whi is currently managed by Cesc Fabregas.