La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper has talked about the 'new Milan' of Stefano Pioli in this morning's print edition. In order to win the 20th Serie A title 'Scudetto', the Rossoneri coach has reshaped his team, also thanks to the support of the management.
Now, the AC Milan squad is more physical and has important creativity and always aims to win. After four years of the 4-2-3-1 formation, Milan was at risk of flattening itself: with the switch to 4-3-3, Pioli first revitalized the game, highlighting the characteristics of the new midfielders that Furlani and Moncada provided him.
As of today, while waiting for Bennacer, Krunic is the only survivor from the midfield of last season, but the additions of Reijnders and Loftus-Cheek have given momentum to the department, adding physicality and movement. The variations on the theme of full-backs, then, with Calabria and Theo increasingly acting as wingbacks, have added creativity to the maneuver: their positioning bewilders opponents and frees up space for the incursions of Reijnders and Loftus. The new Milan lost Tonali, but in the midfield, they find themselves rich in solutions.
To implement his attacking trio plans, Pioli had long been calling for a right winger: now he has two, Pulisic and Chukwueze, who can rotate based on commitments, conditions, and the type of opponent. The Nigerian is a sprinter, but the American has started strong, his understanding with Leao and Giroud is already more than decent, and from here until the derby on September 16, the first face-to-face meeting as a double star, it can only grow: in the ring against Inter, Pioli will step up with a Pu-Gi-Le (Pulisic, Giroud, Leao) trident who are aiming for victory, supported by the strength of a more muscular midfield and the magic and leadership of Maignan.
"Is this Milan stronger than the one of the championship?" asks the newspaper: it's too early to say, especially because the race will involve other powers in Serie A, starting with the reigning champions Napoli. To begin with, this Milan is more effective than the one that displayed the championship on its jersey: on average, it hits the target much more than last year, it's more precise in its passes, and it launches more direct attacks. The direction is the right one, provided that the defense becomes as solid as it was in 2022.
