The second part of Milan’s season should make everyone reflect: from the players to Allegri, from the management to the coaching staff. Harsh numbers are tarnishing what had been achieved up to January. With 25 points collected so far, the Italian coach is having a worse run than Conceição last season (27 points) and Gattuso in 2018/2019 (28). And the tension at the end of the match, with Maignan calling the team over to lead them to the dressing room while the curva had begun to whistle, is certainly not a reassuring sign ahead of the clash against Atalanta scheduled for Sunday 10 May at 20:45 at San Siro.
Risk of Roma:
AC Milan will begin preparing for the match against Atalanta starting on Tuesday at Milanello. Monday will be spent awaiting the clash between Roma and Fiorentina, with the Giallorossi then playing before the Rossoneri next Sunday, as they are scheduled to travel to Parma at 18:00. The real risk for Allegri is that he could start the Lombard derby against La Dea level on points with Gasperini’s side (currently 67 to 61).
Milan are ahead in the head-to-head record against Roma, which is an important advantage in a race that seemed to be going downhill after the win, albeit hard-fought, away at Verona two weeks ago. Recent events, however, have put everything back into question, with a "drained" Diavolo, to paraphrase comments made by Gabbia, one of the dressing room captains.
Absence of Modric:
Calling Milan dependent on Modrić may be unfair, because the Rossoneri’s season has been built around Rabiot, Maignan and Pulisic (in the first part of the season), but it is clear that the absence of the Croatian beacon risks making the team lose its bearings. Beyond his leadership and unmatched technical quality, the squad lacks a player ready to take responsibility for such a delicate role as the deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence. Jashari was completely ineffective against Sassuolo, while Ricci is in better physical and mental condition than his Swiss teammate but has characteristics more suited to a defensive midfielder than a regista.
Physical condition and strikers' crisis
Sassuolo played football and ran a lot; Milan did not. That is the summary of a match that highlighted a worrying physical condition on the part of Rabiot and his teammates, who were constantly late to second balls throughout the game. Added to this is the now long-standing problem of goals from the strikers and, more generally, an attacking phase that does not even produce the bare minimum of a scoring chance. Juventus’ draw against Verona made the day slightly less bitter for the Rossoneri, who must now rediscover themselves this week and take six points from the last three matches against Atalanta, Genoa and Cagliari, before the fear of failure takes over. This was relayed via Calcio Mercato.
