Yunus Musah is expected to start in a few hours against Empoli. This is not a new choice for Paulo Fonseca, who has recently deployed the American midfielder as a right winger. We’re referring to the Champions League match against Real Madrid and the Serie A clash with Juventus. Fonseca’s move aims to address the long-awaited balance that his Milan has been seeking.
After all, the Rossoneri still need to find the right chemistry between an attacking team (as seen against Slovan Bratislava) and a defensively solid team (as seen against Juventus). Is Musah the right choice? The two precedents we mentioned are almost opposites, but for a reason. Here’s our analysis.
Against Real Madrid, Musah was among the best on the pitch. Defensively, he constantly doubled up on Vinícius Jr. and provided perfect support to Emerson Royal. His hard work and sacrifices contributed to a super-balanced Milan that dominated the Blancos at the Bernabéu. Perhaps the key factor in that extraordinary victory by Fonseca’s Milan.
Against Juventus, it was a completely different story...
Musah was invisible, offering little offensive drive in a match that desperately needed a decisive play to break a dull 0-0 draw. Instead, the American did little to nothing, much like the rest of his teammates.
Milan, what about the two precedents in this case?
The two precedents are polar opposites because the team’s needs were different. In Madrid, numerical superiority on the flank was essential, and Musah was perfect. Against Juventus, a more dangerous attacking player was required, and Musah struggled tremendously.
Additionally, Pulisic was present against Real Madrid but absent against Juventus, a significant loss. We’ll see if Musah will be the deciding factor against Empoli. In Serie A, Milan continues to seek two fundamental things: balance and consistency.
Source: PianetaMilan.it.
