TIME MACHINE: AC MILAN v MONZA

For the second year in a row, AC Milan's campaign will end at San Siro against a team destined to go down. In May 2024, this was the case with Salernitana, in 2025 it will be Monza, who are going down to Italy's second tier after three seasons in the top flight. In our final Time Machine of 2024/25 we are going to relive a previous fixture against the Brianzoli, full of first times and great memories.

It was a beautiful sunny day at San Siro on 17 December 2023: AC Milan were under Stefano Pioli and Monza's manager was Raffaele Palladino. The Rossoneri were in good form going into the game after two consecutive home wins (Frosinone and Fiorentina), and having secured a victory against Newcastle in the Champions League. However, this was rather bitter-sweet, as it wasn't enough to continue our path in Europe's top competition. Pioli's team started as a 4-3-3, and they got going well with Giroud's effort that sailed just over the bar. It didn't take long for the goal to come: it was Tijjani Reijnders who got on the end of the cross and finished past Di Gregorio, getting his first goal at San Siro. It was a goal that boosted the Rossoneri, but it didn't demoralise the guests who came close to equalising through D'Ambrosio, but Kjær blocked well. In the 24th minute, Pioli was forced to make a change: the injured Tommaso Pobega went off, and debutant Jan-Carlo Simić came on.

Around 15 minutes had passed and then came a moment that made the former Primavera player's Serie A debut truly special: Leão put in a low cross, Simić got on the end of it and made it, deservedly, 2-0. It was a goal that heavily tipped the game in the Rossoneri's favour, who came close to making it three just before and after the break through Pulisic and Tomori. After a big Monza chance - Maignan saved Colpani's left-footed effort - the goal to make it 3-0 arrived 15 minutes before the final whistle. Noah Okafor scored a great goal: Bennacer and Reijnders built up the move, the Dutchman set up Giroud who then found Okafor with a perfect assist, which he then slotted into the corner. A three-goal win, like in the first ever Serie A meeting between the two sides, in the cold-December sun at San Siro: it was a top victory for Pioli's AC Milan, which came one day after the Club turned 124 years old.

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