What should we make of AC Milan’s season so far? 'Inconsistent' seems to be the right adjective to describe the team's current form. There were some strong performances, but others were negative which indicate that all is not well for the Rossoneri.
Coach Paulo Fonseca, in fact, has been in charge for half a year now, and it’s still unclear whether it’ll turn out to be a shrewd appointment or if someone else will need to take over to take Milan back to the top.
A Great Win at the Santiago Bernabeu
Beating Real Madrid in their own stadium is always a special occasion, even historic. The 3 - 1 victory in the Champions League is the highlight of the season so far, in large part because it showed the potential of AC Milan.
Tijjani Reijnders and his Spanish teammate, Alvaro Morata, were among the players for Milan, but what was most impressive was how cohesive the whole team was.
A victory is always welcome, of course, and the new Champions League format means that this might not be enough to see the Rossoneri through to the next stages of this competition. Beating Real Madrid still earns you three points, and not more, and the defeats that Milan suffered against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen could weigh heavily later if the Rossoneri fail to quality to the next round.
Troubles in the League
Unfortunately, it has not been a vintage Serie A season for Fonseca's Milan. The aim is to finish in the top four. But, it seems that it will not be an easy feat. With three defeats from their first ten matches, the Rossoneri will need to improve, especially with Lazio, Fiorentina, and Atalanta all trying to achieve the best they can.
So far, it’s looking like it’ll be another miserable domestic season, especially with sporting betting sites like Wildz Sports making cross-city rivals Inter Milan favourites to end the campaign as champions. Indeed, AC Milan may deem this year a success if they stop Milan from winning consecutive league titles.
Underperforming Players
What has been most disappointing this season is the number of players who are not reaching their full potential. Given the quality of the players that Milan have on the team, you would expect them to win more games, and certainly perform better, than they have. Rafael Leao has not hit the heights that he’s capable of, while new signing Emerson Royal has failed to fully settle. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, another player who can have a significant impact when he’s in the mood, has struggled for form; in fact, he failed to register any goals or assists so far this season.
If the AC Milan team want to turn this season around, they’ll need their big players to start delivering better performances.
Coppa Italia: An Opportunity to Bring Some Joy
While it seems unlikely that Milan will have little to celebrate in the other competitions they are in, the team does have an opportunity to make this a memorable season.
Victory in the Coppa Italia, a competition they haven’t won since 2003, would at least put an end to one of the more curious droughts in club football.
Milan have won plenty of Serie A and Supercoppa Italia trophies, but have historically struggled in the Coppa Italia.
The Rossoneri do not seem like the favourites to win this title. Instead, Inter, Napoli, and Juventus are all ahead in the odds, but as everyone knows, anything can happen in football.
