Milan, Loftus is the “Kessie” that the Rossoneri were missing: this is how he bewitched the fans and Pioli

The axiom of this new Milan is above all one: when Loftus-Cheek plays, Pioli’s team is something else entirely. Let’s talk about the results: with the Englishman on the pitch as a starter, the Rossoneri average 2.2 points, while when he doesn’t take the pitch it drops to just one point per game.

rhythms

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Against PSG he loomed large as he knows how, breaking the line over and over again and starting counter-attacks, but against Lecce he remained on the bench for 90 minutes. Milan went ahead by two goals and then lost, suffering a comeback from the Salento team and also the third scratch, which was then canceled out by Abisso. In short, another stop. And this is where Loftus comes in: Milan have suffered two draws and two defeats in the last 4. The Englishman only played in the defeat against Udinese. About twenty minutes before the question Mbappè’s PSG. When he is there the team travels at a different pace.

growth

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RLC is a midfielder of fight, government and progression. In the only year in which he played continuously he reached ten goals. Thanks to Chelsea, to Hazard’s assists and to Maurizio Sarri, someone who took him aside one day and predicted a super season for him. Gianfranco Zola, his assistant at Stamford Bridge, summed up best what it means to have someone like this in the team: “He made us change gear, he has so much physicality that he allowed us to break up matches”. It’s all here: and it’s why Loftus-Cheek is essential. When he started, Milan only lost the derby. Five slaps to downsize after three victories in a row. This year he scored just one goal, but against PSG – the match that demonstrated his game – he loomed large as in his Chelsea days: he won 15 duels, recovered 5 balls and started a couple of counterattacks.

kessie

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The comparison that is made is always the same: for more than a year now, the ghost of Frank Kessie has hovered over Milan’s midfield, having flown to Barcelona on a free transfer after winning the Scudetto in 2022. The Ivorian left a “physical” void “, intended as coverage of the field from the point of view of kilometers travelled, tackles, contrasts. Tonali made up for his absence, but not completely. Kessie, the “President”, the box-to-box man, was a certainty in the middle. Pioli made him play in all roles, from midfielder to attacking midfielder, and he repaid his trust. Loftus has what it takes to replace him. The only difference between the two is physical tightness. The Englishman, in recent years, has had several physical problems that have undermined his growth, while Kessie, in five seasons with the Rossoneri, has missed just six games due to injury. The difference is all here. It’s up to Loftus to fill the gap.