Hats off, Antonio Mirante [Bonus article]

The outcome of Milan-Juventus wasn’t what we had hoped for, but there are still a few positives to take from the big clash. Above all, Antonio Mirante deserves a lot of praise for how he stepped up in a tough situation, standing tall and making three very good saves as well.

Milan headed into the game with several key absences and things went from bad to worse when Malick Thiaw was sent off in the first half. Despite all of this, though, Juventus needed a wicked deflection to clinch the three points and this says a lot about the Rossoneri’s mentality.

Mirante’s performance between the sticks also says a lot about the red-and-black mentality. It was his first official appearance in two and a half years (!), but no one could tell as he looked incredibly comfortable from the get-go. Not a single sign of nerves from the 40-year-old veteran, living up to that title.

If you have played team sports before, and especially as a goalkeeper, you will know how hard it is to deal with a lack of playing time. And I’m not talking about two and a half years either, just a few games could be enough to make you question yourself and subsequently lose that crucial confidence. Mirante, however, showed an incredible mental strength.