Chapter 55: Healing the Wounds of the Champions League in the League
The British media were overjoyed, launching wave after wave of praise and flattery toward Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, on the Italian side, Milan found themselves under fire, met with nothing but harsh criticism and doubt over Allegri's tactical choices.
It was as if, overnight, the team that had just strung together eight consecutive Serie A victories was no longer AC Milan.
The tactics hadn't changed—Allegri was still using the same system he had employed during that dominant league run. The very reporters now criticizing him had once tripped over each other in their rush to shower him with praise.
But after just one loss to Spurs, all the previous compliments turned into sharp accusations.
At the post-match press conference, Allegri offered some explanation for his squad selection.
But to the disgruntled Italian press, it was nothing more than a desperate attempt to defend an obvious blunder.
The players who started the match didn't fare any better.
Zlatan Ibrahimović, who had squandered a golden opportunity, and Robinho, who seemed to sleepwalk through the match, were torn apart in post-match columns.
Mathieu Flamini, who had replaced the slightly injured Pirlo in the starting eleven, came under even heavier fire.
Failing to contain the danger from Rafael van der Vaart in two key counterattacks, he was immediately branded "inadequate" by critics.
To be fair, this was overly harsh. Flamini was never a true defensive midfielder. Putting all the blame on him for Milan's lack of midfield coverage that day was unjustified.
But of course, the media always needed a scapegoat to crucify and generate clicks.
In contrast, the player who didn't play a single minute—Li Ang—was the one fans and journalists mentioned the most.
It was inevitable. Just two days earlier, during the league match, Milan's midfield and defense had looked near-impenetrable. Compared to the visible decline in defensive coverage against Spurs, the difference was glaring.
Would Milan have definitely won at home had Li Ang played in that match?
No one could say for sure.
But had he been on the pitch, Milan fans would have had every reason to believe that the night wouldn't have ended in such a humiliating defeat.
Unfortunately, it was just a hypothetical. A dream that couldn't become reality.
And in the second leg, Milan would again have to mount their desperate comeback without Li Ang commanding the midfield.
For now, they had to set aside their Champions League frustration and refocus their energy on the Serie A campaign.
※※※
On the morning of February 17th, after a day off, Milan's first team reassembled at Milanello.
Before training began, Allegri gave a motivational speech.
This was the moment the veterans truly proved their worth.
Having won every major title and suffered plenty of painful defeats in their careers, a loss like this was just another page in the book for them.
Players like Pato, Boateng, Flamini, and Merkel still seemed a bit low-spirited.
But Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Nesta, and Ibrahimović had already put the defeat behind them, throwing themselves into preparations for the next league match.
Li Ang had long since mentally prepared himself.
When he arrived at Milan last month, he had already foreseen that Allegri's system might fail in the Champions League.
European knockout football was all about pace, aggression, and momentum. No one had time for the slow, grind-it-out tactical style that had worked so well in Italy.
Once the knockout rounds arrived, every team that had made it that far was a hardened opponent, willing to risk everything to fight for progression.
If you chose to turtle up and play conservative, they'd just pile on the pressure until you broke.
Milan's usual midfield trio—aging veterans and wild cards—simply couldn't handle the kind of high-paced, relentless midfield onslaught that teams like Spurs could bring.
Without Li Ang, that gap in mobility and defensive coverage became painfully clear.
This was Milan's regret—and Li Ang's, too.
Because he had already played in the Champions League earlier this season with Real Madrid, UEFA regulations prohibited him from representing Milan in the same competition.
So no matter how many times fans ran the "what if" scenarios in their heads, he could never take the field in Europe this season for Milan.
All that remained now was to turn their focus back to Serie A and make sure the pain of their Champions League stumble didn't derail the title race.
※※※
On February 20th, Milan hit the road once again in the league, this time heading to Verona.
Their opponent: Chievo.
This team had recently beaten Napoli and drawn Lazio—yet another of Serie A's unpredictable, dangerous mid-table sides.
Milan approached the match with seriousness and respect.
No rotation. No experiments.
The full starting eleven returned, reassuring fans that they were taking this fixture as seriously as any other.
After all, even if they somehow turned things around in the Champions League, nothing was guaranteed beyond that.
A league title, however, was within reach—and the fans knew it.
With that mindset, nearly 20,000 Milan supporters filled Chievo's Bentegodi Stadium, which only held just over 40,000 to begin with.
Between the traveling fans and those who'd snapped up tickets from Chievo supporters, the ground looked more like a Milan home match.
And when both sets of fans began singing their club anthems, it was the Milan supporters who clearly had the louder voices.
That fired up the players.
And it lit a fire under Ibrahimović.
In the 23rd minute, fed by a delightful chip from Seedorf, he pulled back his leg and unleashed a stunning volley into the far corner—1–0 to Milan.
Eight minutes later, Li Ang broke forward with an uncharacteristic dribble, cutting through Chievo's midfield and attracting defenders.
Sensing the opportunity, Seedorf surged forward to receive the pass.
With the defense momentarily disoriented, the Dutchman took a touch, then fired an outrageous curling shot into the net—2–0.
Milan players erupted in celebration.
The pain of their Champions League loss, the gloom hanging over them for five days, began to dissipate in that moment.
On the touchline, Allegri ripped off his tie and pumped his fists toward the crowd, screaming in release.
Whatever wounds the Champions League had inflicted, the Serie A furnace had already begun to heal them.
If you dared to hunker down defensively, the other team would press forward with overwhelming force. And just like that, the side focused solely on defense would often find themselves gradually losing control of the game's tempo.
Without Li Ang anchoring the midfield, Milan's current combination of aging veterans and reckless brawlers simply couldn't withstand the relentless pressure from a younger, stronger, and more dynamic Tottenham midfield.
It was what it was—destiny, perhaps.
Since Li Ang had already played for Real Madrid in this season's Champions League, UEFA rules prevented him from suiting up for Milan in European competition.
This was Milan's loss—but also, undeniably, Li Ang's.
After regrouping and resetting their mindset, Milan hit the road again on February 20th, this time bound for the city of Verona.
Their opponent: Chievo Verona—a team with a reputation for unpredictability.
Not long ago, Chievo had upset Napoli and held Lazio to a draw. Despite being a mid-table side, they had earned a reputation as Serie A's latest "wild card."
Naturally, Milan took them seriously.
All the first-team starters returned. Not one regular was rested. When Milan's official starting lineup was announced before the match, fans across Italy felt reassured.
After the bitter blow of their Champions League defeat, there was no room for slip-ups in the league.
Even if by some miracle they managed to overturn the result against Tottenham, their path forward would be riddled with uncertainty. Much would depend on their draw in the next round. There were simply too many variables.
By comparison, Serie A was something tangible—something real. A prize within reach.
Having shaken off the sting of their European exit, Milan fans refocused on the domestic title race.
They were so close. Now was not the time to let the prize slip through their fingers.
Hungry to see their team pick up steam again in the league, Milan fans flooded the stadium with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Chievo's home ground, the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, had a listed capacity just over 40,000. Under normal circumstances, it rarely sold out for league matches.
But on February 20th, nearly half the seats—close to 20,000—were filled by supporters in Milan red and black.
Not only had they snapped up all the away tickets, but Milan fans had even bought large swaths of home tickets from Chievo locals.
In no time, Chievo's home ground had been transformed into a neutral venue—if not outright a home game for Milan.
In fact, judging by the singing of the anthems pre-kickoff, Milan's away support may have actually outnumbered the home fans.
Boosted by the overwhelming support, Milan's morale soared.
With such strong backing, how could they possibly let their fans down?
It was Zlatan who broke the deadlock.
In yet another match where Allegri had opted for a more attacking approach, Ibrahimović opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.
Receiving a delicate chip over the defense from Clarence Seedorf, Zlatan loaded his shot like a drawn bow and unleashed a stunning volley that left Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino helpless.
Eight minutes later, Milan struck again.
This time it was Li Ang, surging forward on a rare dribble that threw Chievo's midfield into disarray.
Seedorf recognized the opportunity and made a forward run.
The moment Milan's two midfielders pushed into Chievo's defensive third, their holding midfielder Constant panicked and stepped out of position.
Li Ang, seizing the chance, slotted a sharp pass to Seedorf just outside the penalty arc.
A calm touch. A sharp adjustment.
Then came a shot that stunned the stadium—a graceful flick, more art than technique, that arced beautifully past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
2–0.
And the celebrations? They were wild.
Milan's players erupted with joy, celebrating in Bentegodi as though they were at San Siro.
The gloomy cloud that had hung over the team since their defeat in Europe began to dissipate.
The pent-up frustration of five days came pouring out as Allegri, consumed with emotion, ripped off his necktie on the touchline and roared in jubilation alongside the fans.
In that moment, it felt as though the wounds of the Champions League had begun to heal—smoothed over by the white-hot forge of Serie A.
And in the eyes of Milan's traveling faithful, the league title felt just a little closer.
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