TIME MACHINE: RODNEY STRASSER IN CAGLIARI v AC MILAN | OneFootball

And finally, Rodney arrived. There are just a few days left until the first midweek game of the Serie A 2023/24 season: Cagliari v AC Milan at the Unipol Domus will be our 6th matchday of the championship. As we approach the away game, relive a historic moment against the Sardinian side. Let's travel back to 6 January 2011, when Cagliari v AC Milan was won by a single Rossoneri goal from Rodney Strasser.

Both squads had opportunities in the first half and seemed quite open: AC Milan, without Nesta, Ibra, and Boateng, were stretched thin and were playing with a young Merkel behind the two strikers Pato and Robinho. It was the young German, in fact, who set up the first Rossoneri chance, passing to Robinho who, face to face with Agazzi, has his shot saved. The hosts responded with a header from Canini that ended up hitting the inside post. The first half finished all square despite the chances at both ends, the deciding action is left for the second half. At the start of the next 45', Pato gets a shot away from Seedorf and tests Agazzi's reflexes once again. Then an errant ball from Abbiati risks to open the scoring when it was picked up by Nené, but the Rossoneri goalkeeper then stopped the shot from the Brazilian, sending the ball out for a corner.

Allegri makes some changes and brings on Strasser for Gattuso and then Cassano for Merkel. On the restart the Rossoneri are very dangerous and come close to taking the lead again: Pato opens the path for Robinho, but he lacks the control to put it past Agazzi who comes out to collect the ball. But, in the 86th minute, it was an unexpected Rodney Strasser, not yet 21 years old, who scored the goal that broke the deadlock after making a beautiful move in a tight space: a straight ball from Thiago Silva for Robinho who backheeled it to free up Cassano who then passed to Strasser. He controlled the ball to get the shot away with his right foot, beating the goalkeeper. The goal wins the game and is fundamental for the title race.

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