The arrival of Sergio Conceicao was expected to reverse AC Milan’s fortunes this season, but there has been little for the Portuguese coach to take in terms of positives since his arrival in December.
The initial signs were hugely impressive after winning the Supercoppa Italiana, but a poor run in the league and Champions League has since followed. If you look at the latest soccer betting bonuses, promotions and offers you will notice AC Milan is not very favoured to finish in the Champions League spots in Serie A.
Therefore, there will be huge pressure on Milan in their final ten matches of the domestic season, as they look to salvage their campaign and ensure a finish in the Champions League spots.
Poor League Performances
Conceicao will be hoping for more from his team in Serie A over the final two months of the season, as Milan looks to re-enter the race for a European finish, after being eliminated from the Champions League this season.
However, their chances of achieving that look to be pretty bleak at this stage. Milan currently sits ninth in the overall standings, and they are seven points adrift of the top four positions.
Still, fifth could yet be good enough to gain Champions League qualification, and they are currently six points off Lazio. However, building momentum has been an issue for Milan since Conceicao’s arrival in the league.
They have recorded just two wins across their last five, with only Fiorentina winning fewer points over the same period of the teams above them in the current league standings.
Milan will at least take confidence from the fact that they were able to get back to winning ways in their most recent outing, after battling to a 3-2 win over Lecce.
But, if they are to finish in a European spot in 2024-25, they will need to put together a sequence of victories over the coming weeks.
European Hopes Could Hinge on Domestic Success
It could be argued that their most straightforward passage into Europe next season could come via success in the Coppa Italia. Milan have already overcome big challenges in the competition, and they have two legs against local rivals Inter Milan to look ahead to in April.
There is certainly a sense that Milan could have the quality on a given day to upset the odds against their Milan rivals, and progression through to the final will make them the overwhelming favourites to win the competition, as they will come up against either Empoli or Bologna in the final in mid-May.
Their chances in the Coppa Italia will likely hinge on the outcome of their home first leg on April 2, but a positive first leg could see them in a strong position to complete a second domestic cup win over Inter in 2024-25.
Defensive Issues Need Addressing
Defensive issues were certainly an area that Conceicao was looking to address in
the winter transfer window, with Kyle Walker brought in from AC Milan.
However, the full-back’s arrival is yet to indicate a return to defensive form for
the Italian giants.
Milan have conceded a huge xGA of 29.70 this season, and have conceded 26 goals from open play. They have also endured poor records from defensive set pieces after allowing five goals. Despite the poor defensive performances, Conceicao’s is keeping faith with his tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation. But, it could be sensible to change this approach when they come up against
Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia. AC Milan’s poor defensive record is also reflected based on the fact that they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four Serie A matches.
Over that period, they have allowed five goals, which included two against Lecce in their latest outing. Their attacking players have dug them out of holes throughout this season, but they are still underperforming in terms of the xG metric of 41.22 after netting just 33 goals from open play.
Patience is Required
It could be argued that Conceicao will need to be given the benefit of the doubt this season, and he will need to be supported during the summer in order to build a squad that he believes can compete for major honours in Serie A.
European football would help Milan attract world-class talented from around Europe, but it could also benefit their domestic chances if they miss out on Europe for a single season. This will enable Milan to focus solely on their Serie A matches in 2025-26, and that could enhance their chances of finishing in a Champions League spot. Milan will already have the odds stacked against them to finish in a European position this term, especially as they have huge showdowns against Napoli, Fiorentina, and Roma before the final day of the season.
A strong end to the season will help build confidence ahead of next season, but while Conceicao will likely be given the benefit of the doubt this term, he will need to make a strong start to the following campaign if Milan miss out on European qualification.
