TIME MACHINE: HELLAS VERONA v AC MILAN

Past and present. Verona was a fundamental stage in the championship-winning journey of the 2021/22 season. Today, the stakes are less high, but Hellas Verona v AC Milan remains a match eagerly awaited by the Rossoneri and Gialloblù supporters. Opposite climates, from today's December to May's match back then, and different years, but the magical number three seems to be the thread bringing everything together. Three like the number of days to be played to reach the halfway mark of Serie A 2024/25, three like the matchdays missing until the end of a season that has entered our history. Three also like the points to be won, which in the past came in a comeback thanks to Sandro Tonali's brace and Alessandro Florenzi sealing the deal. Here is the story of the Rossoneri's 3-1 win on 8 May 2022.

A tricky away match with no room for error. The points were important, the championship was now in its final stages, and the head-to-head between AC Milan and Inter Milan continued from day to day. Bologna's success over Inzaghi's team and AC Milan's subsequent victories over Genoa, Lazio and Fiorentina had given an important boost to the standings, but Mr. Pioli's Rossoneri were required to win to return to the top and respond to the Nerazzurri's success over Empoli. Igor Tudor's Hellas, on the other hand, had put Europe in their sights, the Bentegodi was inflamed and the Gialloblù supporters were dreaming of a new trip to the Diavolo. At the start, Krunić, Tonali and Calabria tried to break through the home defence, but Montipò repelled the Rossoneri's assaults.

Surprisingly, it was Verona who got the lead with Lazović's pinpoint cross, which was headed into the goal by Faraoni in the 38th minute. The response was not long in coming, and it was led by the Leão-Tonali link-up: the Portuguese came on at the end of the half, skipped clear of his marker and served the number 8 - right in the middle of the area - with the assist making it 1-1. The 49th minute saw the lead-giving goal. Again an irrepressible acceleration by Leão, again for Tonali's winning tap-in. The comeback was complete, but the victory was sealed in the 86th minute, when Florenzi swapped with Messias and slotted an unstoppable right-footer into the opposite corner. 3-1 and three golden points, vital to banish the ghosts of 'Fatal Verona' and move even closer to our 19th title, which would come shortly afterwards thanks to victories over Atalanta and Sassuolo.

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