Wednesday's Coppa Italia decider at Rome's Stadio Olimpico is the kind of game that carries decades of expectation, built-up hope, and a story waiting to be rewritten. It has, on the one side, Milan hoping to lift the trophy it has not tasted in 22 years. It has, on the other side, Bologna hoping to break a 51-year drought of not winning the competition. Both are burdened with scars, hunger for success, and something even more substantial at stake: relevance.
Milan comes on a roll with confidence in tow having won four straight games, including the 3-1 Serie A win over Bologna. But it's not advisable to make the Rossoneri automatic favorites. The final is just one game, fertile ground for upsets.
Milan yearns to be Milan again
Ever since Sérgio Conceição took charge as the head coach, Milan has learned not only about victories but also about confidence. The victory in the Italian Super Cup over Inter Milan was a step in the right direction. Now, the Coppa Italia final is the second half of a story fans are familiar with and cry out for conclusion. The team last lifted the tournament in the 2002/03 season, over Roma. Ever since that season, Milan has lost five out of six finals.
Pressure lingers. Sérgio Conceição is aware: "It belongs to Milan's history to feel that weight and burden. Let's accept it and work in the task to win this Coppa Italia." He's right. Milan does not live based on appearances. It's a giant with an outstanding history having been in hibernation and now it should wake up and live for awards. If it wishes to wrap up this revival, it must win trophies. That's it.
Outside of mentality, Conceição has decisive reinforcement: the return from suspension of Rafael Leão and the indisputable genius of Christian Pulisic, who's having his best career moment.
Pulisic, Captain America of San Siro
If there remained any doubts regarding Pulisic's impact at Milan, the numbers do the talking. With 27 direct goal contributions this season, setting his own individual record, the American has become one of the foundations of Conceição's team. It's fair to say that Pulisic is Milan's player of the season in 2023/24.
A misleading record
The past statistics between Milan and Bologna greatly lean in favor of the Rossoneri. Out of 14 Coppa Italia encounters, Milan has six victories, Bologna four, and four draws. They last faced each other in the competition some almost 30 years ago, in 1995, with Bologna proceeding on penalties. And here's the twist: this will be the first single-match final showdown between the two since 1929/30.
But all that's irrelevant now. Finals are exception land. And this one's going to be massive. Milan could win its sixth Coppa Italia and break a bitter drought. Bologna, on the other hand, dreams of a third title and the chance to turn the page for an entire generation.
Coach Sérgio Conceição understands a final is another kind of beast. "Every game has its own history. We know that we're going to have in front of us a different Bologna than the one we faced some days ago," he warned.
Conceição wants to finish the season with another trophy, get the club into European competition, and, in the process, put his name on the map as the coach who rejuvenated Milan. To achieve that, he has to win. That is all.