Chapter 179: Stepping Stone

Chapter 179: Stepping Stone

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!" the local Milan commentator excitedly exclaimed, "Ménez! Ménez! Ménez! 1:2, Milan pulls one back at a crucial moment. Ménez steps up to the challenge."

"This is the Milan we know, Ménez explodes into form again after the break, and the team is back to normal."

At San Siro, the AC Milan fans are jubilant, celebrating Ménez's goal with great enthusiasm. Ménez, a free transfer during the summer window, had a poor season at Paris Saint-Germain before being released. At a low point in his career, AC Milan reached out to the French talent, proving it to be a savvy acquisition. In Stefano Pioli's setup, Ménez has demonstrated his worth with five goals and three assists in the first 12 Serie A matches, becoming a bright spot for the struggling giant.

Ménez quickly became a darling of San Siro, each of his appearances met with loud applause from the home fans.

On the sidelines, Guido Marin waves his hands, visibly frustrated. Although upset about the goal conceded, he did not express anger, acknowledging the brilliance of Riccardo Montolivo's assist. Despite his precautions against Montolivo, Marin realized he had underestimated the Milan captain's impact, acknowledging that his standard defensive setup was insufficient against Montolivo's capabilities.

Despite commentators praising Ménez and the assist from Stephan El Shaarawy, Marin still regarded Montolivo as Milan's biggest threat. His entry had revitalized the entire Milan team.

Reacting quickly, Marin adjusted his tactics, directing De Paul to drop back, forming a midfield trio with Alan and Kanté. De Paul, capable in both offense and defense, could virtually play any position except striker.

Pioli glanced at the opposing bench, seeing the conservative shift as a sign of fear, interpreting it as Udinese's reluctance to engage in Milan's increased offensive pressure. But for Milan, desperate to avoid a sixth straight winless game, retreating wasn't an option. Every player, along with Pioli, was under immense pressure to win.

Pioli gestured to his team to intensify their attacks, remarking to his assistant, "The storm is about to start."

His assistant nodded in admiration of Pioli's unwavering confidence, a trait of potentially great managers.

Two minutes later, tragedy struck for Milan as Ménez, sitting on the ground, required urgent medical attention. Soon, Pioli saw the team doctor signal for a substitution. "Milan's luck really isn't good today; right after pulling back a goal, Ménez can't continue," he thought, visibly upset.

The replay showed that Ménez had collided with Kanté while vying for the ball, a typical clash with no apparent malice from Udinese. This left Pioli no one to blame as it was a fair challenge. Quickly, he instructed Giampaolo Pazzini to warm up while Marin signaled his team to push forward.

With Milan temporarily down to ten men before Pazzini's introduction, Udinese saw an opportunity to attack. Football's charm lies in its unpredictability, and a minor incident like Ménez's injury could shift the momentum of the game.

As Pazzini prepared to come on in the 62nd minute, Milan's defense faltered under Udinese's pressure. Veteran Bonera made a costly error under de Paul's pressing, leading to Bruno Fernandes intercepting a weak pass and driving towards the box. In a moment of panic, left-back Armero, the last man in defense, tackled Fernandes from behind just outside the box.

The referee's whistle blew, and as he reached for his pocket, Milan players converged, guessing he would show a red card for denying a clear scoring opportunity. Amidst protests from Milan players accusing Fernandes of diving, the referee issued a red card to Armero, leaving Milan in a dire situation.

Pioli, frustrated, scratched his head, then remembered to call back Pazzini from warming up. With Armero sent off, he reconsidered the substitution, eventually continuing with the original plan but also adjusting positions to fill the gap left by Armero's dismissal.

Despite these adjustments, Milan's situation worsened when Udinese scored a third goal in the 72nd minute through a counter-attack finished by de Paul, assisted by Di Natale. This widened the gap to two goals again, shattering Pioli's hopes for a comeback.

Milan's final substitution, bringing on midfielder Poli for Honda, signaled Pioli's acceptance of the defeat, focusing now on defense to prevent further damage. This defensive move, however, did not sit well with the San Siro crowd, who booed the decision, expecting more from a club like Milan.

As the match ended 3-1 in favor of Udinese, achieving a three-peat victory over Milan in Serie A and extending their winning streak against them to four matches including last season's Italian Cup victory, the pressure on Milan intensified. Pioli's status as a legendary player did little to shield him from criticism as calls for his dismissal grew louder among the frustrated fans.

With Milan's defeat, they remained stuck at 18 points, dropping to ninth in the league, while their city rivals Inter also lost later that day. This small solace did little to comfort the fans, as Milan, once a powerhouse, now grappled with a period of decline, mirroring the challenges faced by Manchester United in recent seasons. For Bruno and Udinese, this match was yet another stepping stone in their rise, unafraid to push giants further into the abyss. (End of Chapter)