In this first part of the season, with the various international breaks, the team has always reasoned in blocks, starting with our coach, who had described the match against Udinese as one of the three or four most important of the season. That block ended with wins against Bologna, Udinese, Lecce (in the Coppa Italia), Napoli, and a draw with Juventus in Turin. Ten points out of a possible twelve, a grade of nine out of ten for consistency, football expression, and the difficulty of the matches.
Not by chance, that run came with the full squad available, missing only Rafa Leao, who returned against Napoli and Juventus but only for short spells, and far from optimal fitness. Some argue that Milan performs better without Leao. That opinion is valid, but the real issue is different. With the full squad, Milan was not inferior to anyone in terms of play. They beat the current league leaders at home and drew in Turin, where by points they would have deserved to win.
Milan's second block:
Continuing this block-by-block reasoning, the second international break brought horror-like surprises worthy of the biggest American Halloween parties. With injuries to Estupiñán, Saelemaekers (who turned out to have only a minor problem), Pulisic, and Rabiot, Milan lost two key players who had been crucial to the previous winning streak. A small drop in form was therefore natural.
Even though the coach always says “one out, another in,” absences are not counted but weighed, and in terms of weight, Milan lost not one but two major figures. In the first three matches of this stretch, Milan picked up five points out of nine, with only the draw against Pisa standing out negatively. Now on Sunday comes Gasperini’s Roma, a team sharing the top spot with Napoli, three points ahead of Milan. It’s a direct clash, but the Rossoneri will take the field even more depleted, without Tomori and Gimenez, who might not even be on the bench after their problems against Atalanta.
That’s the reality. But on the pitch, Milan has never given up and never used injuries as an excuse. So on Sunday, without feeding into the negativity of those hoping to see Milan drop from the top, the team will need a tough, serious, and, allow me the word, “gutsy” performance. This block will then end with the trip to Parma, though that’s still too far ahead to spend energy discussing now.
As mentioned, the trip to Parma will close the second block of matches and mark the start of two crucial weeks for Milan. During that time, Pulisic and Rabiot, along with the other injured players, will finally return. It will be the first time since the start of the season, barring national team duties, that the coach has the full squad available.
This is when Milan must shift into high gear, starting from the November 23 derby, a match that needs no introduction, aiming to follow the same momentum built between Bologna and Juventus. This will be the moment to prove, not to the skeptics but to ourselves, that this group is united, strong, and will fight until the end.
For now, the task is to grit our teeth, push through the obstacles, and collect as many points as possible, knowing that December and January will reveal much about our season.
Source: Milan News
