From Madrid to Cagliari is just a step—at least, in footballing terms. The same Milan that conquered the Santiago Bernabeu ends up with a draw at the Unipol Domus. Against the Rossoneri, it wasn’t someone like Mbappé who scored, but rather Zappa, who delivered not one, but two stunning goals. The mental balance of Paulo Fonseca’s squad should be studied further.
Against Cagliari, we saw numerous defensive errors from AC Milan.
The backline struggled with every offensive push from the home team. The left side, led by Luvumbo and Augello, consistently created danger in the same way. It’s no coincidence that both of Cagliari’s goals were almost identical: a driven cross from the left and a volleyed finish.
Then there’s Theo Hernandez, who had a dreadful performance, frequently targeted by the opposition’s attackers. Few runs with the ball, several defensive lapses—this won’t do. But it’s not just about Theo, to be clear. Other key players in the horror show at the Unipol Domus included Pavlovic, Thiaw, and Emerson Royal.
In such a challenging game, the referee also made things worse. It’s baffling that Cagliari’s first goal wasn’t disallowed.
At the moment of Zortea’s shot, Luvumbo was right in front of Maignan, not only obstructing the Milan goalkeeper’s view but also in an offside position. It was quite surprising by how little attention this incident received, as relayed via PianetaMilan.
Immediately after the match, there was no real discussion about it—instead, it was brushed off as a “possible error,” rather than an event that completely altered the game. And to add to that? Viola’s disallowed goal, which was rightly overturned, received even more attention.
Once again, as we do almost every week, we find ourselves debating questionable refereeing decisions. Fabbri’s error is certainly not to be overlooked, but this shouldn’t, and cannot, hide Milan’s evident issues.
How it’s possible to perform at such a high level in Madrid, only to face Cagliari in this way less than four days later.
The Rossoneri team has quality, important players, but still lacks the mental balance to secure wins in tough matches.
This isn’t the first time we’ve pointed this out, and it probably won’t be the last. Today’s Milan has the confidence to beat teams like Inter and Real Madrid, but not enough focus to take three points against Cagliari, Parma, and Torino.
