After a positive start, Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan have dropped points for the first time, drawing 1-1 against Juventus in Turin.
In recent years, this has been a boring game, especially at the Allianz. Milan and Juventus haven’t really played out a classic and you’re often left thinking about games from the past, rather than hoping the next one comes around quickly.
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For 60 minutes – if not longer – this game followed the same trend. Very few moments of quality were woven into minutes of build-up and defensive-minded football. Then Alphadjo Cisse came onto the pitch and lit the spark.
The game settled back into that lull after the youngster’s goal, but Juve were undoubtedly the aggressors. Eventually it paid off, too, with a late goal from Federico Gatti. A disappointing end to what would’ve been a masterstroke from Amorim.
The game itself was a mixture of good and bad performances, so let’s dig into five things learned from the game itself.
1. Mixed feelings about Amorim’s game management
This one is interesting because the Diavolo were two minutes away from three points. Had that been the case, we probably wouldn’t have touched on the Starting XI, but as things stand, we have to address some of the manager’s choices.
The biggest issue here was the introduction of Diego Moreira, who prior to this game had zero minutes for his new team, whilst Samuel Chukwueze was in red hot form and it made little sense to bench the Nigerian.
Moreira seemed a tad nervy, which is probably expected given it was his first game and what a game at that – away at Juventus – so naturally the wingback tried to play it safe. As a result, we barely saw anything from him going forward.
Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
At the very least, he could’ve played on the left-hand side where Pervis Estupinan continues to be unimpressive, but that would’ve at least resulted in Chukwueze being a starter.
In the middle, we saw Luka Modric partner Yunus Musah and whilst the Croatian will certainly be crucial for Milan this season, perhaps someone like Jashari should’ve started instead of him. Just because of his physical condition, if nothing else.
Modric couldn’t really keep up with the tempo and failed to press high alongside Musah, which meant Amorim’s tactics didn’t really work, since the team couldn’t press as a unit. Instead, if Modric came on in the second half when the tempo dropped a bit, he would’ve been more useful.
Then, Adrien Rabiot also started in the right attacking midfield position. Whilst everyone probably agrees that he’s better than Ruben Loftus-Cheek, he also seemed a tad slow and not at full fitness. One could argue Chukwueze could’ve played there even if Moreira got the start. With Rabiot, the issue was clear: the Rossoneri lacked pace on the counter and couldn’t really create danger.
To Amorim’s credit, he reacted very well in the second half – as has been the case in the previous two games – and he subbed on Chukwueze and Cisse, with the duo combining for the opening goal.
Unfortunately, the coach’s plans were too conservative after that, which resulted in the equaliser being expected by the end of the game…
Being conservative in your first derby as a Milan manager, especially after going up 1-0 against Juventus away from home, is not the biggest crime.
Nevertheless, there’s a lesson in there for Amorim. Saying that, it’s important to also highlight that Milan continue to be unbeaten under the Portuguese and he has plenty of positives to work with.
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2. De Winter shines as supporting cast struggles
Mario Gila was without a doubt the best Milan defender in the opening two games, but it was Koni De Winter’s time to shine against Juventus.
The Belgian made a few crucial clearances and plenty of great tackles. He was also very confident on the ball, which was a major drawback in having Matteo Gabbia as a starter, some felt.
Gila also did quite well, but he had a few more negative moments compared to his previous games. In fairness, though, he played with some discomfort and it seems it has been the case since he picked up a slight injury in pre-season.
Hopefully, he can move past that and be healthy, as he really has been a tremendous signing.
The real issue at the back for the Diavolo was Strahinja Pavlovic, who was beaten too easily on several occasions, with him seeming a bit sluggish.
On top of that, his passing wasn’t brilliant either and whilst the goal did not come from an error he committed, it’s still fair to say that he played an underwhelming game, as Mike Maignan and De Winter were forced to save him on a couple of occasions.
Photo by AC Milan
3. Still in search of the right midfield duo
Milan’s midfield was definitely outplayed on Sunday night. It might be controversial to say, but we felt Modric was more of an issue than Musah, even though the Croatian scored the higher rating in our post-game ratings.
Modric is unable to press high and efficiently due to his age more than anything, but his on-the-ball qualities normally make up for that.
Against weaker sides, this isn’t as evident because, for example, Venezia or Torino might not have the technical capabilities to escape even a moderately good press. Juventus, on the other hand, obviously could and they were helped by the limited numbers of the Diavolo’s press.
With the ball at his feet, the Croatian was definitely better, although again Musah had a couple of forward runs where he escaped from the press and had the energy and pace to carry the ball forward. Modric, even if he can escape the press with his technique, then struggled to bring it forward at the needed tempo.
This isn’t to say Modric shouldn’t play, nor is it to say that he won’t be extremely valuable for Amorim. However, in some big games it seems that he might be better off the bench when the opposition is a little bit tired and the Croatian is fresh.
Seeing more of Ardon Jashari and Musah in the middle, assuming Rabiot will play in an advanced position, may well be the way to go.
4. Saelemaekers and Ramos disappoint
It’s understandable why Alexis Saelemaekers got the nod over Cisse, as he played well against Venezia and combined with Ramos for the opener. Yet, against Juventus, he was just poor and so was the Portuguese, unfortunately.
Saelemaekers was really sloppy on the ball and his control was off on the night; even when he had a bit more space and time, he lacked the creativity to make something happen. There isn’t much more to add, really. It was night and day compared to when Cisse came on.
Valerio Pennicino + Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Ramos also struggled and whilst he had little service in front of goal, he also didn’t do enough when he dropped deeper to involve himself in the game.
The first issue was that he didn’t really involve himself enough, but the second problem was that when he did get on the ball, he was slow and sloppy, losing the ball or misplacing a pass.
Really poor by the number nine this time around and his pressing wasn’t that great either, but that was more of a group effort.
5. Duo shine off the bench
It wasn’t all bad, though. Amorim reacted well to the poor performance on the pitch by subbing both Chukwueze and Cisse on for Saelemaekers and Rabiot.
The two combined shortly after, with the Nigerian switching the ball perfectly to the feet of the youngster, who had no trouble. With the ball glued to his foot, he cut inside, beating his man and firing a low driven shot into the far corner.
It was such a beautiful goal to watch and it highlights how much Milan have lacked a player who can be as direct as Cisse. We cannot avoid crediting Chukwueze, too, because his long ball was not an easy one either.
Photo by AC Milan
So one thing is for sure: following the initial three games of the season, both players need to start given they are well rested and fit. Moreira and Christian Pulisic will have to fight for a starting spot and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easy for them.
This is only a good thing for Amorim and Milan as a whole; it’s been far too long since there was proper competition for places in key areas.
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