Milan concluded their preseason unbeaten, securing a 3-1 victory against Monza at San Siro during the second edition of the "Silvio Berlusconi Trophy." Their only non-victory came in the first match in Vienna against Rapid (1-1), followed by four consecutive wins: in America against Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona (on penalties), and yesterday against Monza. Both old and new players featured, and glimpses of Paulo Fonseca's ideas are starting to show.
Throughout the preseason, the Portuguese coach's management of the squad has been interesting, as highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport this morning. Last night, Fonseca fielded two different lineups, one in each half. The common thread between the two lineups was the almost scientific blend of key players expected to start and those who should be decisive coming off the bench.
Saelemaekers was consistent in the first half, while Okafor showed promising signs in the second half. Alvaro Morata also got some minutes, although he is understandably still behind in terms of fitness. However, he has already shown his integration into the Rossoneri's playstyle with his attitude and positioning. It’s clear that the Spaniard is an atypical center forward, different from Giroud: he often moves to the left, swapping positions with Leao, and plays the ball almost like an attacking playmaker. It remains to be seen if this will bear fruit. The newspaper also notes the quadrilateral formed with the striker and playmaker along with the two midfielders, while the wingers push high: a stark contrast to the 4-2-4 seen under Pioli.
In his first press conference as Milan's coach, Paulo Fonseca envisioned his team as offensive and aggressive. This vision started to materialise yesterday, evident from the first goal: a high and collective press led to the ball being recovered in the opponent's half, followed by an immediate vertical pass that freed Saelemaekers to shoot and score. There was a lot of pressing and movement, especially in the attack: neither the wingers nor Morata maintained fixed positions, removing reference points for the opponents.
The offensive phase was also strong in the second half, even if the pace was slower. The left flank needs some attention as Terracciano still struggles to maintain his position and contain his direct opponent. Overall, there are excellent signs from these early outings, but starting Saturday, things will get serious, and the intensity - for both Milan and their opponents - will ramp up all at once. Milan must be ready.
