Eight Rossoneri players in front of the ultras after the defeat against Udinese: the finger is pointed at the coach and some new signings
At the end of the game someone tried. Some with their jackets pulled up, some in play clothes, some with a sweatshirt on. Eight AC Milan players set off towards a disappointed and angry Curva Sud, weakened by the defeat against Udinese and worn down by an unrecognizable AC Milan. At least compared to what was shown in the first forty days of the new year. The Rossoneri emerged amidst the boos of the seventy thousand fans at San Siro, including the Curva Sud, as had never happened after the 2022 scudetto. Loftus-Cheek, Calabria, Romero, Thiaw, Florenzi, Adli, Pobega and Maignan timidly tried to go under the South, the others immediately took refuge in the changing rooms, including Pioli. As if each of them wanted to avoid the cloud of whistles, as well as the drops of rain.
Looking for goals
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Meazza challenged the team for the first time this season. There are those who took it out on Pioli, those with the predictable play and those with the new faces, above all Jovic, out of form and out of revs. The data for his match is all in two figures: 14. The number of balls touched in 45 minutes. Of the players who have played as long as him, only Kabasele has played fewer (9). The Serbian missed simple supports and received whistles. Okafor replaced him at half-time, but he was unable to do better. With a couple of minutes to go he preferred a feint to a right-footed shot from about ten metres. Here is the key to understanding Milan’s difficulty: the missing goal. Especially when Leao and Giroud don’t light up. In the last four matches between the championship and the Champions League, the Rossoneri have scored only two goals (a brace from Olivier against Maradona). And Rafa had little impact this time too. The last goal dates back to 23 September against Verona. The Portuguese earned a few fouls, unleashed as he knows how, but the green tick is missing under “goals”. And this is worrying. Adding to the “lack of concreteness” note is Reijnders, good with the ball but not so good when it comes to finishing. Even today he missed an opportunity in front of the goalkeeper. The only midfielder to have scored a goal remains Loftus-Cheek. The rest, zero rings. Florenzi spoke after the match: “There was a lack of clarity. Now we all have to row on the same side.”
Alibis and whistles
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There are some mitigating factors: Milan have reached 21 injuries this season. The last are Theo and Krunic, with the latter coming off at half-time due to a muscle problem. Sportiello, Kalulu, Pellegrino, Kjaer, Bennacer, Chukwueze and Pulisic are added. On the bench, in addition to Bartesaghi, there were Simic and Jimenez, two Primavera players. An iron alibi considering what’s at stake and the three competitions, but Meazza, this time, blew the whistle on the performance. Milan appeared predictable, dull, emptied, confused by the change in formation. Pioli had never lost two games in a row at San Siro in the league. The last time it happened was in 2019, with Marco Giampaolo on the bench, while to find two more goalless games at home you have to go back to 2012. Pioli spoke of “confusion” and “right whistles”, leveraging the reaction: ” I’m disappointed, but now let’s think about the Champions League.” At San Siro, meanwhile, it doesn’t stop raining even at the end of the match. On Tuesday, against PSG, a test of the old Milan will be needed. To clear the clouds and get out of the storm.
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