The resilient comeback to win after trailing 2-0 felt significant with starters missing against improving opponents
For almost an hour, it had seemed as though a curse was about to be broken. Hellas Verona have never won a game at San Siro: not even in that magical 1984-85 season when they became champions of Italy. Sixty-eight times they had come to the so-called Scala del Calcio – football’s equivalent to the iconic opera house – and 68 times they lost their voice, regardless of whether they were sharing a stage with Inter or Milan.
On Saturday, they started out singing beautifully. Verona raced to a 2-0 lead over the Rossoneri, with a performance even more brilliant than that scoreline suggests. Igor Tudor’s team was taking the game to Milan high up the pitch, setting the tempo with rapid short passes.