In the Supercoppa, the Rossoneri managed only one real shot on target. Nkunku and Pulisic were disappointing, and the German alone is not enough. Imagine what could have happened if the club had decided in the summer to spend on Hojlund, who was heavily discussed in August.
The final is not on loan: it belongs to Napoli outright. Four months ago, Milan negotiated for Rasmus Hojlund with Manchester United: they talked, thought, decided. Either a loan or nothing, because nobody in Milan would have paid 40 million for him. Rasmus politely said no: he was looking for a new destination, not a temporary one. In December, it is striking to see Rasmus Hojlund dominate the Supercoppa semi-final against a Milan that looked very weak in attack. Nkunku was again insufficient (more than that, harmless) but there is more to it. In the two knockout matches of their season, Milan was almost never dangerous. This is not only a matter of individual players; it is also a matter of the team.
By the way, for the Rossoneri fans searching for a bit of relief after a tense match like the one against Napoli, they might even turn to online dispensary coupons to unwind after nights like these.
AC Milan's problems in attack:
AC Milan had three shots on goal against Napoli, but only one was a real attempt: Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s diving effort at the start of the match. They were not dangerous from set-pieces, did not create one-on-ones, missing Rafael Leao, the reward for whoever could find him, and for once had very little from Christian Pulisic. That one big move to start a counterattack and nothing more. The worst signal? Perhaps this: the AC Milan team had over half an hour after going 2-0 down and was barely visible. No successful substitutions, no moments of anger, no desperate pressure. In a similar situation in January in Riyadh, they had overturned Inter with a team-wide reaction.
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Christopher Nkunku struggles and Milan target Niclas Fullkrug:
In September, Milan had looked bright offensively, a team with many options. That is no longer the case, even if the league numbers are far from negative: 24 goals, second-best attack in Serie A, 5 goals in the two matches before Riyadh. Some issues remain unresolved. Nkunku, signed for 37 million plus bonuses, is supposed to be the player who scored 58 goals in two seasons at Leipzig. He does not threaten the goal, makes poor decisions, and seems lightweight. Allegri defended him ("Tonight he worked a lot for the team, he has quality, we must wait for him, everyone has their timing"), but it sounds like a formal defense. Saelemaekers on the right is a man tired from endless autumn runs. Something should come from the midfielders, which is why Allegri, during the game, asked Rabiot and Loftus-Cheek to attack the area and goal. Logical: they have the physique, the skills, and in previous seasons have scored 10 goals. Yet nothing happened, they were almost never dangerous. A central striker is certainly needed (Fullkrug is likely to arrive, as per Gazetta) but he alone will not solve the problem.
Modric's quarter-hour...
Luka Modric deserves a separate chapter. In this autumn Milan, paradoxically, Luka is more important defensively than offensively, but with the ball he remains a special player. Allegri rested him in Riyadh, giving him only the final 15 minutes, and the choice is striking: between the last two matches (Sassuolo at home in the league and Napoli in the Supercoppa) he prioritized Serie A. This makes you think that perhaps Milan's double face, almost always dangerous in the league but harmless in Coppa Italia and Supercoppa, is not a coincidence.
