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A gentle murmur which began in San Siro on Sunday night gained a little volume in Emilia-Romagna 24 hours later. The texts, tweets and general chat between fans of the Rossoneri carried a constant question. “Can we stop the League now?” it asked.
Max Allegri’s men delivered as competent a demolition of a lower level side as they have done for some time in seeing off Lecce. Alexandre Pato looked like a scorer reborn, Ronaldinho pulled the strings with precision and there was time for a thousand lingering camera shots of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the crowd. You could probably have powered half the city’s central heating systems with the warm glow of satisfaction coming from Adriano Galliani.
But does this dawn really precede a brighter day for the Milanisti? Was the apparently deeply delusional Silvio Berlusconi actually correct when he told frustrated tifosi that this team was up for winning everything? Or are they, like Pippo Inzaghi storming into the penalty area, simply setting themselves up for another fall?
The truth, of course, is that it is too early to tell. Their performance and result were impressive but that needs to carry at least two caveats. Firstly, they were only playing Lecce and, secondly, they did produce similar displays last season. However, what did make this victory more conspicuous was the fact that it came as many other top-of-the-table contenders failed to find the net at all.
Inter looked bereft of ideas and character on their trip to Bologna. They may simply have been jaded after their Super Cup efforts and they did run into a goalkeeper in top form in Emiliano Viviano. Nonetheless, the first warning light must have started flickering on the dashboard for Rafa Benitez.
He would be foolish to panic with a squad which is still more than capable of capturing another Scudetto and making a strong defence of its Champions League crown. Just the same, there have to be some niggling doubts about their challenge. Last year they approached each game with a gutsy determination which never faltered no matter what adversity came their way. This term it has already been snuffed out by Atletico Madrid and a Bologna side without a permanent manager.
It may console the Nerazzurri that their nearest rivals from a season ago also failed to defeat lowly opposition – and this time in front of their own fans. A stubborn Cesena side was enough to stifle Roma’s hopes of victory in the Stadio Olimpico. The Giallorossi let much of the match pass as if it were a training session and paid the price. Of all the teams in Serie A, they should know how costly it can be to have a slow start to your campaign.
Still, Claudio Ranieri’s men were trumped in the poor beginning stakes by his former employers. The latest ‘new Juventus’ looked remarkably similar to some of the old ones as it was sunk by a Massimo Donati stunner in Bari. Celtic fans may want to pause and read that sentence again. It was not the opening statement Gigi Del Neri hoped to make.
In many ways, however, it was to be expected. The Bianconeri have been trying to reassemble the parts from a FIAT into a Ferrari this summer and that cannot happen overnight. A new formation, new faces and new backroom staff will all take time to start running smoothly. Unfortunately, they should be warned that many Juve supporters have precious little patience left in the tank.
They may already have been casting a melancholy eye towards Parma where the discarded Sebastian Giovinco was in hot form to help his new team beat Brescia. But such pursuits would be as foolish as Milan thinking the Scudetto is already in the bag. An opening day win is nice – as Genoa, Chievo and Samp can also testify – but it does not guarantee a success story. There are another 37 vital chapters still waiting to unfold.
KEY PLAYER – Everyone was talking about Ibra but it was Alexandre Pato who let his boots do the talking. The Milan forward had a troubled season last year with injury and a lack of goals seeing his stock tumble. Two nice finishes against Lecce were the perfect tonic and will have the Rossoneri drooling over their attacking options.
MOVIOLA MOMENT – Napoli might well have come away from Florence with a result anyway but their task was made easier by the match officials. Edinson Cavani’s seventh minute header hit the bar before bouncing on the line but – perhaps in fear of a World Cup blunder – the goal was given when replays showed it should not have stood.
DISASTER DAY – One of the first rules of goalkeeping is that if you come for a cross you should make sure you either grab it or punch it clear. Sadly for Lazio fans, Nestor Muslera did neither and effectively gifted Sampdoria a second goal through Stefano Guberti which killed any chance of a Biancoceleste comeback.
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