Milan still need 6 more points to secure mathematical qualification for the Champions League, the seasonal objective clearly stated from day one by both the club and the manager. Naturally, the results of other teams are not taken into account, only what the Rossoneri themselves must do to avoid letting slip a target that is extremely important. Today brings the fourth-to-last obstacle, Sassuolo, against whom the Milan side will try to rediscover what has been missing for far too long with consistency: goals.
AC Milan's Blunt attack
Today, Corriere dello Sport clearly reminds us, if it were even necessary, just how much Milan are struggling offensively. In the last four matches they have scored only once, with the forwards collectively goalless for more than two months. Even looking only at away performances, the numbers are worrying: against Lazio, Napoli, and Hellas Verona, only one goal arrived, against Verona, scored by Adrien Rabiot. Looking at the average goals, there is a complete decline in attacking performance compared to the first part of the season, when the Rossoneri were dreaming big: in the first 25 matchdays, they averaged 1.64 goals per game, a figure that has dropped to 0.78 goals per match over the last nine outings. It is a problem that primarily concerns the forwards but, more broadly, the entire team.
Pulisic left out
In an attempt to break this drought, especially that of his strikers, Allegri is trying to shake things up in attack today: Christian Pulisic is left out, despite being the standout performer in the first part of the season and a starter in the last three consecutive matches. The American, after probably being the team’s best attacker and the league’s top performer earlier in the season, has not scored since 28 December and seems completely lost on the pitch. For today’s match in Sassuolo, Max is considering starting him on the bench; in his place, the ex Juventus coach will rely on Christopher Nkunku. The Frenchman has not been performing much better (he has not scored since late January and his displays have also been disappointing), but there is hope that this attacking change might bring a bit more unpredictability.
