A debut to remember for Guillermo Ochoa in Serie A

Serie A returned to action after taking a seven-and-a-half-week break due to the 2022 World Cup and Guillermo Ochoa had a positive debut for Salernitana. The former Club América goalkeeper impressed in his side’s clash with giants AC Milan, but in the end he couldn’t prevent the defending champions from taking the three points back home following a 2-1 defeat for the southern club.

Impressive debut for Ochoa

Despite the defeat, Ochoa was Salernitana’s best player after saving eight shots, albeit he was blamed for the first goal of the match. In the 10th minute, the 37-year-old rushed out of his box with the purpose of cutting out Sandro Tonali’s through ball, but Rafael Leão got there first.

The Portuguese winger took it around the goalkeeper before firing a low shot into the back of the net from a tight angle. Then Ochoa had his teammates on the edge of their seats when Matteo Lovato played the ball back to him and Olivier Giroud sprinted forward to close him down, but the keeper managed to clear his lines in time.

In the 15th minute Milan scored the second goal of the night and there was nothing that Ochoa could do. Salernitana couldn’t clear their lines as Junior Sambia gave it straight to Tonali, who shot the ball on target and Ochoa blocked the first attempt.

Fortunately for Milan, Brahim Díaz kept it alive and gave it to Tonali once more, and this time, he fired in a low shot that beat Ochoa and gave the visiting side a two-goal lead. In the 28th minute Díaz got away another shot on goal and it was once more blocked by the Mexican international. Ochoa kept denying Milan on chance after chance after receiving two goals, but it was not enough.

The home side would find the back of the net in the 83rd minute via Federico Bonazzoli, but it was not enough and time ran out. Despite the result, Ochoa put in a very solid performance in his maiden Serie A outing and he will return to action on 8 January for another home match against Torino.