AC Milan 0-3 Udinese: Disastrous defensive performance damages top four hopes

AC Milan’s top four hopes suffered yet another blow on Saturday evening at San Siro as they were beaten 3-0 by Udinese.

It was a nightmare from start to finish, with Arthur Atta’s deflected cross and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s header putting Udinese 2-0 up before the break, while Milan continued to miss chances at the other end.

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Atta got his name on the scoresheet (the first went down as an own-goal) in the final 20 minutes to put the game to bed, and now the Rossoneri could realistically be looking at a situation where the gap to fifth place is down to three points.

First half: Disaster unfolds

The major news regarding the starting line-up was that Massimiliano Allegri chose to go with an attacking trio that consisted of Alexis Saelemaekers and Christian Pulisic either side of Rafael Leao. That meant Zachary Athekame came into the side, playing at right-back.

There instantly seemed to be a bit more fluidity about Milan’s attacking play, with the full-backs and Adrien Rabiot able to get forward and support the moves down the flanks. Pulisic went on a mazy dart in off the left flank eight minutes in, getting past a couple of defenders before having his shot blocked.

Milan also retained a threat in transition, like when Davis misplaced a pass with his back to goal and Leao was released, though the Portuguese fired over from the edge of the box with a rising right-footed shot.

The opening 20 minutes was perhaps best summarised by a moment in which Leao thought he had spun his man to get in behind before going down. Yet, the referee gave a foul to Udinese and a yellow card to the forward for his reaction to the decision.

Despite having spent the opening 26 minutes pinned inside their own box, Udinese took the lead thanks to a stroke of good fortune. Zaniolo did brilliantly to lead the away side forward in transition, laying it off to Atta whose low cross/shot took a big deflection and wrong-footed Mike Maignan to go in.

Milan went in search of an equaliser, and Leao should have probably done better just after the half-hour mark when a teasing cross from Pulisic found his run at the far post. He somehow controlled it out of play, albeit in mid air.

Less than two minutes later, it was Pulisic’s turn to be wasteful. This one in fairness was inches away from finding the top left corner as he seized possession and shot from about 18 yards from a central position.

It was easy to see why Davis is the third-top scorer in the league when he combined brilliantly with Zaniolo and unleashed a shot from the left side of the box that beat Maignan and crashed against the crossbar, thankfully bouncing away from goal.

In the 37th minute, Udinese got the second goal that their efficient attacking play probably deserved. Davis again did well in the corner to hold the ball up, feeding Zaniolo for a brilliant cross that Ekkelenkamp glanced in off the far post with Maignan rooted.

The visitors were just a couple of yards away from going in three goals up at the break. Right at the end of the one minute added, Udinese broke away down the left side and only a heroic sliding intervention from Strahinja Pavlovic stopped Kristensen finishing from close range. The ball trickled through, but thankfully stopped just short of the line.

Second half: Bad to worse

Allegri must have been equal parts furious and concerned with what he saw in the first half, and he made a change at the interval: Niclas Füllkrug came on, replacing Athekame, which meant Leao moved out to the wing.

Milan dialled up the pressure right from the off in an attempt to get back into it. Okoye made a good stop to deny Modric’s shot from just beyond the edge of the box, then moments later he produced an even better diving save to tip Saelemaekers’ half-volley onto the crossbar. It was a sign that it just wasn’t the Rossoneri’s day.

Füllkrug had his first chance to add to his one goal with Milan so far a few minutes before the hour mark. Leao found space to run into down the left and his low cross deflected up to the German, whose header was comfortably over from close range.

Moments after Pavlovic had sent a header into the side netting at the far post, Allegri made another change with Ricci coming off and Youssouf Fofana taking his place.

Fofana could have quickly got his name on the scoresheet after his run in behind was found by Füllkrug, though the Frenchman shot straight at Okoye from just a few yards out. The jeers began to grow in volume as fans sensed a very damaging result on the way.

Just inside the final 20 minutes, the result was finally put to bed. Rabiot coughed up possession near the halfway line and Atta was allowed to let a shot off from the edge of the box that rolled in at the near post, again with Maignan rooted.

Changes followed from Allegri, with Modric and Pulisic being the ones to make way for Ardon Jashari and Christopher Nkunku. The final substitution was a few minutes after that, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek came on for Leao.

The almost empty stadium when the full-time whistle blew told the story. Milan had been well beaten, and now that top four spot looks far from secure.