Two goals down, looking absolutely cooked against reigning SPFL champions Celtic, Milan seemed like they were sleepwalking through their first stadium friendly in Glasgow. But then 19-year-old Francesco Camarda exploded onto the scene, bagging a second-half brace that hauled the Rossoneri back for a 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon. It was a rollercoaster, that’s for sure, and while the comeback felt good, there are some serious questions after that first half.
Milan’s First Half: A Defensive Nightmare Without the Stars
Ruben Amorim had a tough hand to play, no doubt. His squad was missing a ton of key first-team guys who are still soaking up some holiday sun after their World Cup duties, meaning no Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, Rafa Leao, Christian Pulisic, or new recruit Goncalo Ramos. That forced a mix of youth and experience onto the field. Milan lined up in a 3-4-2-1, with a familiar back three of Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Strahinja Pavlovic, flanked by Zachary Athekame and Davide Bartesaghi at wing-back. Up front, it was Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lorenzo Ossola playing behind 19-year-old Andrej Kostic, alongside Samuele Ricci and Christian Comotto. Despite some encouraging spells of possession early on, things went sideways fast. Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up! A “hospital backpass” from Pavlovic in the 11th minute gifted Camilo Duran the opener, putting Celtic in front. Then, just 17 minutes later, it was another “sloppy backpass,” this time from Ricci, that Duran capitalized on again before squaring it to James Forrest for a brutal 2-0 lead. Milan looked completely disorganized, making critical errors that cost them big time.
Camarda’s Instant Impact and a New Injury Scare
Amorim clearly saw what everyone else did, because he made wholesale changes at halftime, swapping out eight players! Mario Gila, David Odogu, Filippo Terracciano, Samuel Chukwueze, Youssouf Fofana, Yunus Musah, Aurelien Guernier, and our hero, 19-year-old Francesco Camarda, all came in. Only Lorenzo Torriani, Bartesaghi, and Loftus-Cheek played beyond the 45th minute. And man, did the changes work, especially Camarda! He took just two minutes to get Milan back into it, converting from the penalty spot in the 47th minute. Not even seven minutes after being introduced, the teenager found his second, nodding home from the center of the area after a decent ball in from Chukwueze. Absolute magic from the kid! But it wasn’t all good news. The biggest concern for Milan fans has to be the injury to new signing Mario Gila, who was forced off just 23 minutes into his first run-out. That’s a gut punch for his debut. Post-match, Camarda and Chukwueze definitely “stole the show” in the player ratings, but Pavlovic, Tomori, Ricci, and Ossola all scored 5 or below. That tells you everything about the first-half struggles.
Celtic kicks off their league campaign at home against Dundee next weekend, so this was their final friendly. For Milan, this was just their first stadium friendly of the summer. While Camarda’s heroics are an awesome sign for the future, those defensive lapses are a real red flag for Amorim to address quickly. And that Gila injury? That’s something to keep a very worried eye on as pre-season continues.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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