Luka Modric’s Milan started their Serie A season with a shocking 2-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Cremonese, as Federico Bonazzoli’s acrobatic bicycle kick proved decisive.
The Rossoneri had already made their seasonal debut, beating Bari 2-0 in the Coppa Italia last week, but this was Max Allegri’s first on the touchline due to a ban. Modric was thrown straight into the starting XI with Pervis Estupinan, though Rafael Leao was out injured. Cremonese had Milan-owned Filippo Terracciano and Warren Bondo, but Franco Vazquez, Mattia Valoti and Tommaso Barbieri were suspended, with Dennis Johnsen and Gianluca Saro sidelined.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
The hosts almost opened the scoring after four minutes when Santiago Gimenez’s effort was deflected off Federico Baschirotto and clipped the upright.
Pervis Estupinan saw his swerving strike skim the post from distance, while Gimenez was offside when firing in from a Modric ball over the top.
Cremonese pounced on a Strahinja Pavlovic error, forcing Mike Maignan into a tricky save on Federico Bonazzoli.
The Seahorses caused a huge upset when taking the lead at San Siro, as a corner was not cleared effectively, Giuseppe Pezzella put the cross back in, and Federico Baschirotto anticipated Pavlovic for the glancing header into the near top corner.
Gimenez saw his volley flash inches wide after Emil Audero flapped at a corner, but Milan finally equalised on the stroke of half-time. Cremonese were furious, feeling Alessio Zerbin was fouled in the build-up by Alexis Saelemaekers, as Estupinan stood up a cross at the by-line for the Pavlovic free header at the back post.
Allegri’s men had a flurry of scoring opportunities on 52 minutes, as first Emil Audero flew to push a Modric strike over the bar, then he had to deny Christian Pulisic from the resulting corner, and eventually Youssouf Fofana’s effort out of the near bottom corner.
Cremonese not only held on, but managed to restore their lead. Baschirotto robbed Gimenez and allowed Pezzella to stand up a cross from the by-line, finding a spectacular, acrobatic Bonazzoli bicycle kick to surprise Maignan.
Milan kept going close, Pulisic’s curler skimming the far top corner after cutting inside former teammate Terracciano, then Ruben Loftus-Cheek hitting the side-netting.
Deep into stoppages, Gimenez tried with a diving header on a corner, Saelemaekers unable to turn in the rebound at the back post, as the Rossoneri were jeered off the pitch at full time.
Milan 1-2 Cremonese
Baschirotto 28 (C), Pavlovic 45 (M), Bonazzoli 61 (C)
Player statistic
| 28' |  |
Federico Baschirotto (Assist: Alessio Zerbin) | ||
| Strahinja Pavlovic (Assist: Pervis Estupiñán) |
|
45+1' |
| 48' |  |
Alberto Grassi | ||
| 61' | |
Federico Bonazzoli (Assist: Giuseppe Pezzella) | ||
| 69' | |
Filippo Terracciano | ||
| 77' | |
Martín Payero | ||
| Álex Jiménez | |
78' | ||
| 88' | |
Warren Bondo |
Match statistic
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5-0
5-0 to the best team in the world. You lost to Cremonese at home!
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