Classic match Milan Como February 1985

AC Milan welcomes Como to San Siro this weekend, a timely reminder of one of the greatest away victories in the Lariani’s history 40 years ago.

In 1984-85, Como were back in the top flight after a two-year absence. The Lariani had won promotion back to Serie A after finishing second to Atalanta in Serie B, with Ottavio Bianchi coaching a side brimming with starlets like Hansi Muller, Dan Corneliusson and Gianfranco Matteoli.

By the time of their visit to Milan to take on the Rossoneri, Como found themselves 10th in the table, and were coming off a 2-1 home win against Avellino. Goals from Muller and Corneliusson secured the win at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, narrowing the gap between them and Milan to just four points.

This was a Milan team just before Silvio Berlusconi’s takeover of the club in 1986, and it was a mix of youth and experience. Yet the Rossoneri of 1985 had what would become the backbone of the early Berlusconi years in the shape of Franco Baresi, Mauro Tassotti, Filippo Galli, Alberico Evani and Pietro Paolo Virdis. Paolo Maldini would make his debut for the club just a week later.

Northern Italy was in the grip of arctic weather as temperatures dipped to as low as minus 20 degrees, yet that didn’t stop the 50,000 fans who braved the icy conditions to show their support.

The turf at San Siro was rock-solid, and attempts were made to fix the goalmouths, leaving the areas resembling a day at the beach. However, the conditions suited the away side and, on 25 minutes, Como won a free kick close to the byline. 

The resulting cross was only partially cleared, falling invitingly to Gianfranco Matteoli on the edge of the box. Como’s captain steadied himself before steering an exquisite volley into the corner of the goal, giving Milan stopper Giuliano Terraneo no chance.

The Lariani were ahead, and deservedly so.

Milan tried to get back into the game with an effort from Mark Hateley, who’d just signed for the club and had earned cult status with his thundering header in the Milan derby the prior October. Yet just before half-time, Como doubled their advantage, through the most-unlikely of sources. 

With the pitch now sprinkled with white as the snow delicately fell from the Milanese sky, Como’s own youth graduate Luca Fusi curled a ball into the box from the right-hand side. 

It was met perfectly by the head of Pasquale Bruno, who nodded the ball past Terraneo’s despairing reach. It was a maiden Serie A goal for the uncompromising Bruno, who would go on to become one of Serie A’s classic hardmen during spells at Torino, Juventus and Fiorentina.

Como were now coasting. 

As the snowfall intensified in the second half, the pitch became more unrecognisable. Yet the game continued, and Como held their nerve in the worsening conditions to record a first Serie A victory away from the Sinigaglia for some 32 years.

In the aftermath of the game, La Gazzetta dello Sport gushed about the performance of Como’s mercurial playmaker Matteoli.

Usually a paper very stringent on handing out high ratings, La Gazzetta handed him a score of 8 in their review of the game, praising his ‘mazy dribbling, acceleration and creativity’, they christened him the “Maradona of Brianza”.

The 2-0 result affirmed Como as a genuine threat to Serie A’s hierarchy.