The two big Rossoneri players have been swamped for weeks. Including the national teams, Rafa has been dry for 7 games and Oly for 10. Problem within the problem: the alternatives are not up to par for now
On the one hand, the data stands out because behind them, at the moment, there is no one in the squad who seems capable of taking their place. Yes, in short, if Okafor or Jovic – with Juve one on the bench for 90 minutes and the other ethereal – did their job well, there wouldn’t be much talk about Leao and Giroud’s (long) absence from goals. This absence however, in a Milan that is having a damn hard time throwing it in, is starting to become substantial and painful. And, without a shadow of a doubt, excessively and guiltily long.
tears
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Milan come from three matches – Dortmund, Genoa, Juve – in which they scored only one goal, that of Marassi. The other “zeros” have definitely cost them dearly, because if the Rossoneri fail to get through the Champions League group stage, tears will be shed over the certified inability to score against Borussia (and also previously against Newcastle). Likewise, yesterday’s sterility against Juve meant the loss of the top spot in the standings. In short, net of the blunders (Thiaw), if the defense holds up – 2 goals conceded in the last seven outings – the plate is crying in attack. And, even if it would be ungenerous to cast the cross only on Leao and Giroud, the fast is now really starting to weigh on the team’s economy.
rafa
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Leao has completed exactly one month of abstinence. His last joy dates back to 23 September, the winning goal at San Siro against Verona. Since then, 5 games have gone by without a goal, which rises to 7 if we also include the national team. Also dry against Portugal despite 131 minutes on the pitch and a team capable of producing 8 goals between Slovakia and Bosnia. With Juve, apart from Giroud’s turn which enhanced Szczesny’s reflexes, it must be said that Rafa was the only one to worry the Juventus defense, but it was one of the many matches he played with the same script: that is leaving the feeling that he could have done more. Of course, one goal for example would have been enough.
oly
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To find Giroud’s last celebration, however, we need to rewind the tape even longer. We are almost two months away: Roma-Milan on 1 September, when Oly had started the season with the freshness of a twenty-year-old: 4 goals in the first three games. Then, the darkness, at least in terms of realization. In his case, his count says that we have reached the seventh game without scoring. And, as for Leao, the list gets longer with the national team, which adds three more matches bringing the total to 10. In his case, the years pass, the transfer sessions pass, the team still gets stronger, but up front it continues missing a real alternative to Monsieur Giroud.
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