Milan’s top scorer at the moment does not even have a fixed position. That is one of the peculiarities of Rúben Amorim’s new Milan, where Diego Moreira is carving out an increasingly important role for himself with goals, bursts of pace and moments of individual brilliance. The Portuguese winger, in his first season in Italy, is already the Rossoneri’s most prolific player after the opening rounds of the season.
Moreira: Three Goals and a Decisive Impact
Moreira has already shown that he can make a difference even when introduced from the bench. Against Lazio, he was decisive with a brace, helping Milan come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 and avoid what would have been their first defeat of the season.
Against Lecce, meanwhile, he scored his third goal of the campaign. It came from one of his biggest strengths: carrying the ball forward, driving down the flank and accelerating to inject life into the game. Even when the result appears to be settled, Moreira’s individual plays can still earn applause.
The most curious aspect, however, concerns his positioning. The former Strasbourg player made his first start against Juventus as a right wing-back, while against Lazio, Benfica and Lecce, he came off the bench and operated on the left flank as a more attacking wing-back, as pointed out via Milan Press.
Milan Face Competition on the Flanks
The challenge for Amorim is finding a consistent role for a player who is proving that he deserves regular playing time. Milan’s flanks are already particularly crowded.
On the right, there is Samuel Chukwueze, who, alongside his attacking qualities, is also providing an important contribution defensively. On the left, Pervis Estupiñán and Davide Bartesaghi have been sharing the role.
Taking Chukwueze out of the starting XI does not appear to be part of the coach’s plans at the moment. At the same time, playing Moreira on the opposite flank could risk making Milan too unbalanced, particularly given the demands of the 3-4-2-1 system.
Amorim Must Find the Right Role for Moreira
This is where Amorim’s work comes into play. The Portuguese coach will have to find a tactical solution that allows Moreira to express his full potential without compromising the team’s balance.
Milan invested around €50 million to bring a player to Milanello capable of adding creativity, dribbling, explosiveness and pace. Moreira is already showing all of those qualities consistently, even though he has yet to settle into a definitive position.
The challenge, therefore, will be to find a role tailored to the Belgian talent within the new Rossoneri system. His bursts of pace could prove to be an important weapon for changing the tempo of matches and, above all, disrupting the balance of Serie A.
