Relief ill Berlusconi thanks to former premier league player: Monza stunts against Inter

In December, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi showed his least ministerial side. The politician, who celebrated many successes as president of AC Milan and found a new hobby in the modest soccer club AC Monza after his political career, promised the players’ group a “bus full of prostitutes if they won against big clubs like Milan and Juventus.”

He didn’t mention Internazionale by name, but count on Berlusconi’s favorite thing to do would be to lump the old arch-rival. He almost succeeded in early January, but Denzel Dumfries shot Inter 2-2 deep into injury time.

Luca Caldirola, rented by Vitesse in the 2010/2011 season from Internazionale, headed a corner kick powerfully into the corner next to goalkeeper Andre Onana about ten minutes before time.

Internazionale was not the only top club to be surprised on Saturday. Napoli and AC Milan also lost points.

The upcoming national title really won’t be in jeopardy, but while all of Naples has been in celebration mood for weeks, Napoli’s machine is sputtering a bit.

Napoli still cherishes a comfortable fourteen-point lead over Lazio with eight games to go, but the fact is that it managed to win only once in the last four.

AC Milan beat the incoming champions no less than 4-0 in the league game and were also too strong 1-0 in the outward match of the Champions League quarterfinals And against relegation candidate Hellas Verona, the Serie A table leader did not go beyond a disappointing 0-0.

Against Hellas Verona, the team seemed mainly concerned with the return in the Champions League, Tuesday against AC Milan, and that was reflected on the field as well as on the bench.

At half time, Napoli did play a lot in the opponent’s half of the pitch, but the league leader did not get further than a disallowed goal. After half-time Spalletti brought on his stars Kvitsja Kvarachchelia, Staislav Lobotka, Piotr Zielinski and Victor Osimhen, who returned from injury.

The Nigerian striker was closest to a goal, but his pounder plagued the underside of the crossbar.

Hellas Verona allowed Cyril Ngonge, who came over from FC Groningen in January, to come in at the last minute. The Belgian striker seemed to be on his way to helping his team to a stunt after all, when in injury time he ran all alone towards goalkeeper Alex Meret.

However, Ngonge – who in his Groningen days scored one of the most miraculous goals in the premier league ever with the heel – got no further than an unsuccessful stick, which bumped sadly wide of the post.

The last time Luciano Spalletti’s team drew was in August, when it had to settle for a point against Fiorentina (0-0) and Lecce (1-1) respectively.

AC Milan made things worse earlier on Saturday by resting ten base players and, against Bologna, got the lid on the game after only 26 seconds when Nicola Sansone put the home club up 1-0.

Before halftime, Milan got back into the game: after unfortunate defending by Jerdy Schouten, Tomasso Pobega shot the 1-1. That was all, but still Milan did good business. The defeat by Inter meant that Milan retained fourth place, a place that entitles them to Champions League soccer.

Right now, however, what matters most is this year’s Champions League. On Tuesday, Napoli and AC Milan meet for the third time in a short time, this time for a spot in the semifinals of the Champions League. Milan won the first game at home 1-0.

A day later it is the turn of Internazionale, which won 2-0 over Benfica in Lisbon earlier this week. An all-Italian duel beckons in the semifinals.