Ruben Amorim certainly expected a better European debut as Milan head coach. Instead, last night against Benfica, Milan suffered a disappointing defeat, their first of the season, after a poor performance, particularly in the first half. There were too many questionable decisions, starting with a rather baffling starting line-up: the Portuguese coach opted for excessive rotation, leaving too many key starters out.
Milan and Amorim's excessive rotation...
The Corriere della Sera reported this morning that, just as they did a few days ago against Lazio, Milan practically gave away the first half, but this time the changes after the break were not enough to produce another comeback. In fact, Benfica also scored a second goal in the second half. Unfortunately, Milan showed little in the way of ideas, spirit or courage, although perhaps the biggest concern is that, after almost three months, the Rossoneri are still very much a work in progress. And Amorim is playing his part in that, because leaving all the big names out of a game like this was hardly a great idea. Modric, Rabiot, Pulisic, Gila and Moreira were all on the bench. Why? It is true that another game is coming in three days, but the Portuguese coach's rotation was excessive, and he failed to capitalise on the momentum generated by the comeback in Rome against Lazio.
Gonçalo Ramos disappoints again
One of the most eagerly anticipated players was certainly Gonçalo Ramos, but once again the striker disappointed and was never dangerous going forward. It is true that he did not receive many balls, but he also needs to do more if he wants to make a decisive impact and prove that he is worth the €74 million invested in him. On Sunday evening, Milan will return to action at San Siro against Lecce, a game the Rossoneri must win at all costs to avoid heading into a three-week international break in a nightmare situation. It is only the end of September, but the Rossoneri already seem to have their backs against the wall.
