Against Udinese, it was primarily Paulo Fonseca's victory. The coach showed great courage by fielding a completely revamped lineup, displaying personality and the strength not to cater to anyone, just as he had declared in the press conference.
It was a triumph of a team with a capital "T", as relayed via Calciomercato.com. In fact, we saw a spirit that we’ve rarely witnessed this season. Without that spirit, they would never have secured the 3 points, especially in a match where they played with a man down for just over an hour. Fonseca won against everything and everyone.
Chiffi wasn’t up to the task during the Milan - Udinese match
Tijjani Reijnders did everything to avoid the opponent, who instead cut him off to initiate a barely noticeable contact. Then there’s the handling of the cards: according to the Lega Serie A report, Milan committed 3 fouls and received 2 yellow cards and a red, while Udinese committed 14 fouls but only saw 3 yellow cards (several were missing, perhaps even a red).
Fonseca also won on his own because, during the two-week break, he did not receive any public vote of confidence from his management, nor did Ibrahimovic show up at Milanello (an incredible situation).
"It's a Milan of steel even without Leao" ⚔️, as per @Gazzetta_it 📰 pic.twitter.com/pTmxipYAPw
— MilanReports (@MilanReportscom) October 20, 2024
Who knows if this match will be the turning point for the team's spirit, which now must continue down this path. It’s a message to everyone: those who adapt are part of the group, and those who don’t, stay out. It’s clear that the thought primarily concerns Rafa Leao.
There’s life without the Portuguese player, but he will need to be smart and realize that he too must show what his teammates have demonstrated on the field.
Will Leao start for Milan against Club Brugge in the Champions League?
It will depend on how he responds in the coming days at Milanello. Meanwhile, Noah Okafor has impressed Fonseca quite a lot, writes Calciomercato.com.
