While there is disappointment over AC Milan’s exit from the Champions League, there are certainly positives to take away from our journey too.
The Rossoneri saw our European campaign for this year come to an end after defeat to Liverpool at San Siro on Tuesday night, a result which left us bottom of Group B and so entirely out of the equation even when it comes to the Europa League.
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Naturally, there will be frustration and disappointment over our inability to get beyond the group stage in our first year back at Europe’s top table, but ultimately it will hopefully put us in a stronger position to be better when we next compete at this level.
Invaluable experience for young Milan squad
Given the length of our absence from the Champions League and the average age of the current squad, the experience of competing against seasoned European sides like Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Porto will hopefully be invaluable.
It was a positive sign that even after not putting up points despite deserving more early on in the group stage we claimed four in the back end, and that possibly shows we started to get to grips with this level.
However, moving forward, these are games that the players and coaching staff must soak up information and knowledge from to ensure we’re better for the experience.
Part of the process to become competitive
Rarely do you see a side make an immediate jump from struggling to even qualify for the Champions League to then go on and win it immediately.
There is a process to get back to that top level, and Milan are currently on that journey as we look to continue to strengthen the squad, learn and improve.
Our history in this competition perhaps demanded something more this year, but ultimately it was an important step on the way to getting where we want to be again.
Clear areas to upgrade still
One of the key issues that Milan encountered is the step up in quality levels, and perhaps the inability to match that as our squad is still growing and evolving.
While we’re more than competitive domestically, it’s another ball game in Europe, and so while we’ve seen the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Sandro Tonali look at home on this stage, which is a major boost in itself, perhaps some of the others and even more senior players have shown their age.
The game has evolved and you need a certain profile of player to compete with the very best. That requires stamina, aggression, movement and technical quality, and perhaps we’re still lacking that in certain areas.
Full focus now on Scudetto charge
While it’s always disappointing to exit the Champions League at any stage, it does now provide us with an opportunity to fully focus on Serie A and get our players healthy again.
The absentees on Tuesday night really hurt us, and so having full weeks in between most games now for the rest of the season will be important, not only to keep players fit but to also allow Stefano Pioli maximum time to break down opponents and get positive results in the Scudetto push.
Milan currently sit top of the table after 16 games, just one point ahead of nearest rivals Napoli and two ahead of city rivals Inter. With that in mind, there is no room for error moving forward, and so to be able to put all our eggs in one basket will hopefully be a massive help as we look to end our wait for the Scudetto.
