It was an opportunity for both, and Amorim seizes it with merit and personality. On one side was Milan, decimated by injuries, which also had to prove it possessed reliable second choices after the flop in Europe. It succeeds. On the other was Udinese, sitting on the edge of the precipice, with five consecutive defeats weighing on Runjaic’s shoulders and a sixth that could have provided the final push into the void. It seems that this is not the case.
Despite the defeat, the German coach should be given credit until the break, but things are being taken hour by hour. Even the next match, a kind of playoff between desperate sides against Parma, could cause upheavals: the ways of football are inscrutable, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
On Milan’s path, still unbeaten in Serie A, however, the ambushes seem distant for the moment, because an away victory had been missing since the first matchday, and after three consecutive draws on the road, the leap in the standings is worthy of the Champions League. Having caught up with Roma, only Inter and Lazio are ahead, but this week will end with the Milan derby, after the obstacle of Bologna.
The reasons
Self-confidence is growing because new protagonists are being introduced, such as Bartesaghi in an all-rounder role, and because after conceding five goals in the last two outings, Maignan is now mocked by the crowd but not by his opponents. And the possibilities for selection are also increasing in a squad increasingly affected by injuries. Milan shows a single face, even disguised by the carousel of systems, but it has a pleasant and productive appearance, avoiding blackouts. The last half-hour against Atalanta and the first against Bournemouth were linked by the same flimsy thread, but that had not been the only thing in the turning point sought with the new course. The structure chosen for this match prevails, with goals, one in each half, from Pulisic and Hutchinson, even though it is considerably different: having recovered Ramos, Amorim has also lost Rabiot, Gila and Moreira. So he has to make do by putting on the table what he has, as he honestly admits, but also by changing the order of the positions, he overturns the precautions prepared by Udinese, increasingly fragile (18 goals conceded in total).
AC Milan's moves
Bartesaghi, in this way, is the advanced wide player in a basic 4-2-3-1, modifiable according to needs, so much so that the youngster has moments as a genuine striker, also cutting in from the attacking midfield area, and on two occasions he could score; he continues to seek depth throughout the match, but then you also find him helping out as a fifth defender, alongside Diawara, who is good in his very first minutes in Serie A. There are two other players making their first league starts, such as Hutchinson and Tomori, both on the right. "Hutch" is less prominent in the first part, but then gives himself his first goal in the red-and-black shirt by pouncing on a poor rebound from Okoye following a shot by Jashari. The playmaking is entrusted for the first time to two pure creators like Modric and Jashari: without having a more physically powerful defensive midfielder alongside them, they do not have too many difficulties in defensive coverage, and both are involved in the goals, given that Luka has a foot in the 1-0. His colleague covers for him in recoveries; he is not lightning-fast, but he can always make his class shine.
Pulisic is also among the best, dangerous and proactive. He floats behind or alongside Ramos, and it is precisely one of his runs into space that is spotted by Modric, from a free kick that seems harmless but instead becomes the assist for the 1-0. No Udinese player covers the ball, Davis moves away, Vojvoda hesitates and fails to hold the offside line. The result: the American’s second goal in this competition, an early lead (sixth minute) and the possibility of managing the subsequent phases with passing play and long balls for the attacking players. Milan thus comes closer to scoring further goals (Ramos hits the crossbar, which would have made it 3-0) than Udinese does to mounting a comeback.
Udinese on the ground
Runjaic’s team is immediately set up in a 3-5-1-1 rather than the usual 3-4-2-1 because Ekkelenkamp tends more to remain as a third midfielder and in the second half becomes a right-sided wide/central midfielder. When it puts together secure combinations, the home team reaches the edge of the penalty area, but then has to rely on shots from outside, which Maignan deals with. Only towards the end does Davis have a good chance from close range, but he sends it straight at the goalkeeper.
Udinese, without Solet and Alaba at the back, and with Zaniolo brought on midway through the second half, does not have too many ideas. Physically, it does not completely surrender after falling behind early, but it fails to cause damage in the penalty area and, when it has to defend, leaves too much space. In second-to-last place, the wind of crisis is a storm.
