AC Milan suffered a 1-0 defeat to Juventus on Sunday night, with Malick Thiaw’s red card proving to be a decisive moment in the game.
The Rossoneri were poor throughout in truth, and with a lack of quality and ability to grab control in the game and put Juve to the sword, we were ultimately left empty-handed.
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It’s another bitterly disappointing result against a direct rival having already lost to Inter this season, and with a tough week ahead, Stefano Pioli and the players will have to produce an immediate response.
Milan travel to Paris Saint-Germain for our Champions League encounter in midweek before a trip to Napoli next Sunday night, and so there has to be a significant jump in quality in order to ensure that this doesn’t prove to be a damaging week of results across two key competitions.
Concerning lack of quality vs direct rivals
While Milan were excellent in winning games to start this season, albeit it wasn’t always convincing, the warning signs were there from the defeat to Inter despite winning every other league game prior to this weekend.
We didn’t step up our level and match the opposition that night, and we didn’t deliver a performance of high enough quality this past weekend to get the better of a Juventus side who were arguably very beatable.
That is a concern moving forward especially with Napoli away next up in Serie A, and we have to start finding answers to impose ourselves better in these top-of-the-table clashes and to ultimately come out on top.
Thiaw red card raises question marks again
Malick Thiaw is still only 22, and so it’s important to remember that he has a lot of improvement and development still to come.
There’s no doubt that he’s evolved his game and become a better player over the past 12 months, and for the most part, he puts in reliable and solid shifts at the back.
However, he struggled badly against Inter and saw red in this one, and that is a worrying sign of his ability to deal with pressure in these big clashes. Pierre Kalulu will likely now come in and partner Fikayo Tomori in his absence through suspension, and time will tell if he finds a way back into the side on his return.
Musah a battling figure in heart of midfield
While Milan’s display may have been devoid of quality, Yunus Musah ensured there wasn’t a lack of effort as he battled throughout and right until the last minute.
The 20-year-old is really impressing with his attitude, desire and energy, but there isn’t the right balance in our midfield to ensure we control games and dictate tempo and possession for long enough periods.
Ismael Bennacer’s return from injury will be a game-changer, but in the more immediate future, it’s hoped that Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s comeback won’t result in Musah being the one to drop out.
Mirante fills in commendably in difficult circumstances
With Mike Maignan and Marco Sportiello missing out through suspension and injury respectively, Antonio Mirante was thrust into the starting XI in tricky circumstances given the nature of this game.
He was beaten by an unfortunate deflection for the goal, but he produced a number of key saves to keep it level prior to that in an impressive display.
Maignan will return this week and so Mirante will be back-up for the Frenchman, but it was good to see him step in and step up when the team needed him to.
Pioli has to start finding answers for more convincing Milan
Aside from the ongoing struggles against direct rivals from a tactical standpoint as we fail to really control these games and look effective, Pioli’s changes in the second half didn’t have the desired effect either.
Yes, we’re still second in the Serie A table with seven wins in nine games, but it hasn’t been particularly convincing or enjoyable football in many games when we look back to the wins over Genoa and Verona as well as the defeats to Inter and Juventus.
With the injection of fresh faces over the summer with our new signings, we need to see more quality and control on a consistent basis, and it’s up to the Milan coach to put in place a game-plan to get the best out of his players.