Veteran midfielder nets winner in first appearance at San Siro after summer transfer
MILAN, Italy – Luka Modric found the net for AC Milan in Sunday’s narrow 1-0 win over Bologna. At 40, the Croatian midfielder appears to have made an instant impact in his San Siro debut, though the goal came relatively late in the 73rd minute after what seemed like a fairly controlled performance.
The Decisive Moment
Modric’s winner emerged from one of those moves that football purists love – starting deep in midfield before flowing forward. He picked up the ball around the center circle, advanced with purpose, and eventually connected with what looked like a perfectly weighted cross from Alexis Saelemaekers. The finish past Bologna’s Lukasz Skorupski was clinical, though perhaps not spectacular.
“I hope next time someone won’t remind me of my age anymore,” Modric quipped to DAZN afterward. His humility was typical: “It was great play, Ale gave me a great ball and it was easy to score. It was more the pass than my goal.”
Coming just days after his 40th birthday on Tuesday, the goal may suggest that age really is just a number for some players. His celebration at San Siro had that genuine joy you sometimes see when veterans prove they’ve still got it.
Drama in the Closing Minutes
Things got messy near the end, though. Milan’s win was nearly overshadowed by a penalty controversy that saw coach Massimiliano Allegri sent off – and honestly, his reaction was pretty over the top.
Christopher Nkunku, the new signing, looked certain to get a penalty after going down under challenges from Bologna’s Jhon Lucumi and then Remo Freuler. For a moment, it seemed like he’d get his first Milan goal from the spot.
But referee Matteo Marcenaro had other ideas. After checking the pitchside monitor, he reversed his own penalty decision, deciding Freuler’s challenge wasn’t enough. Allegri’s response? Let’s just say it earned him a red card and probably a fine.
New Faces, Familiar Problems
Adrien Rabiot also made his debut, and the French midfielder actually looked quite comfortable alongside Modric. Their partnership in the middle seemed to work well – Rabiot’s physicality balancing out Modric’s craft and experience.
Milan hit the woodwork three times before finally breaking through, which suggests they created enough chances but maybe lacked that killer instinct. Still, any win is a good win, right?
The downside? Mike Maignan limped off with what appears to be a calf problem. Allegri confirmed afterward that the goalkeeper will miss next weekend’s trip to Udinese, which isn’t ideal when you’re trying to build momentum.
Where This Leaves Milan
The Milan vs Bologna result lifts them to fifth in Serie A, tied on six points with Cremonese and Roma. It’s their first home win of the season, which probably feels like a relief for everyone involved.
Roma’s surprise 1-0 loss to Torino earlier in the day helped Milan’s cause too. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and Milan got a bit of both on Sunday.
The Lookman Saga Continues
Meanwhile, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman situation is getting messier by the week. Coach Ivan Juric confirmed the Nigerian won’t be traveling to Paris for Wednesday’s Champions League opener against PSG.
This whole thing stems from Lookman’s failed summer move to Inter Milan. He basically tried to force a €50 million transfer that never materialized, and now he’s paying the price. It’s a shame because the guy scored 52 goals in 117 games for Atalanta, including that incredible hat-trick in the Europa League final against Leverkusen.
Sometimes these transfer sagas get ugly, and this appears to be one of those times.
AFP
