The guy facing the ball is our very own Paolo Dybala (#21) who I've mentioned multiple times (for good reason), and whose tale I told in image 0871. If you're on the other team, seeing him in control of the ball anywhere near your own goal can generate a bit of nervous sweat. Having striker Tammy Abraham (#9) right behind him is also a worry.

Hence the sense of urgency with which midfielder Tommaso Pobega (#32) is trying to recover the ball.

His career to date (at least at Milan) hasn't been all that it might be, but he's still only 24 here (25 in July of 2024), so he has time. He was born in Trieste (which probably explains the blonde appearance), and stands at 188cm (6' 2"). His junior years (up to 2013) were at Triestina, before being taken into the AC Milan Youth Sector. In 2018 he graduated but was immediately sent on loans for several years. In 2018/19 it was to Ternana (Where?? In Umbria, the bit between Roma and Tuscany; they’re in Serie C). He made 32 appearances for 3 goals.

In 2019/20 he went to Pordenone, which is also a "Where??" story but one which is a bit more melancholy. It's located in Pobega's home region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. When Pobega was there it was in Serie B. By 2022/23 after a disastrous couple of years it was relegated to Serie C, but decided to drop out and was liquidated at the end of October 2023. Why melancholy? It was founded in 1920, 104 years ago from the time of writing. Italia, which is a country of history, seems to be losing so much of it with demographic shifts and the loss of institutions and groups which once meant so much to some, at least. But I digress. He made 33 appearances for 5 goals.

In 2020/21 he was sent to Spezia (in Liguria on the west coast near France) which had just been promoted into Serie A that year, making 20 appearances for 6 goals. The following year he was sent to Torino for 34 appearances and 4 goals. So for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons he was at AC Milan... for a meagre 30 appearances and 2 goals, meaning that he made fewer appearances in 2 years than he had in a single year at the loan clubs (aside from Spezia). Though he did have a rectus femoris injury at the end of December 2023 which required surgery, which would have put a dampener on his appearances. (That's the anterior thigh compartment's most superficial and nearly vertically oriented muscle; it's important for stabilising the knee.)

His contract runs to 2027 and he's a member of the Italia international squad, so I doubt we've seen the last of him.

The guy to the right of him is central defender Pierre Kalulu (#20). Note the way he's holding his hands behind his back. This would be to prevent him from being pinged for a handball if a ball comes flying his way. Not everybody gets away with Maradona's "Hand Of God" schtick. Born in Saint Priest (Lyon) France to Congolese parents, he would celebrate his 24th birthday within a few days of this match.

His youth career was split between Saint-Priest and Lyon, with his senior career starting in Lyon B (2018-2020) before moving to Milan in 2020 for which he has made 84 appearances and scored 3 goals to date. His time in 2023/24 was more limited (9 of 38 matches played, 370 minutes total), but he had a chunk of time out because of injury and rehabilitation.

Note also the guy on the right of the goal. Him, we'll come to in the next shot.