AC Milan take on Napoli at the Stadio Maradona on Easter Monday, and Massimiliano Allegri is already concocting his tactical plan.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recalls the meeting back in September, when Allegri surprised Antonio Conte by keeping the left side of Adrien Rabiot and Pervis Estupinan deeper to attract the Azzurri’s high pressing from Di Lorenzo and Anguissa, leaving Christian Pulisic 1v1 with Marianucci.
It was a move that disrupted the Italian champions’ defensive system for a good half-hour, during which the Rossoneri laid the foundations for a 2-1 victory with goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Pulisic himself. This time, what can Max come up with for the trip to the Maradona?
The big temptation
The last match before the break – the hard-fought victory against Torino at San Siro – revived the issue of formation. Allegri immediately opted for a 3-5-2, after having been tipped to go for a 4-3-3 in the summer.
He wanted to get results through solidity, and the goals conceded column shows it has worked. Recent attacking struggles, however, have increasingly pushed Max to use a three-man front line during games.
This was the case against Torino, when Zachary Athekame’s introduction and Saelemaekers’ advancement at the start of the second half effectively transformed Milan’s formation into a pure 4-3-3. The result? One of the best 20-minute spells of the season in terms of creativity, and two goals.
This is why in Naples, whether from the start (less likely) or throughout the contest, the three-man attacking trio could once again be the coach’s secret weapon. Perhaps with Christopher Nkunku and Santiago Gimenez, who remained at Milanello to work during the break, and are eager for revenge.
Ruben’s return
Ruben is back. And speaking of men, Allegri will have Ruben Loftus-Cheek back for the match at the Maradona. The Englishman has been sidelined since a terrible collision with Parma goalkeeper Corvi on February 22nd and is an additional option, both in midfield and potentially in attack.
Given Youssouf Fofana’s recent upturn, RLC is unlikely to be a starting player, but his return expands the bench and offers Max another option to increase the physicality against a midfield that, with Anguissa and McTominay, promises to be a battle not only from a technical standpoint.
In the Rossoneri’s last big match, the 1-0 derby win over Inter, Allegri surprised everyone with his team’s approach in the opening stages. Typically, Milan are cautious at the start, preferring to sit back and ‘study’ the game. Against Chivu’s men though they upped the pressure, starting on the attack.
This isn’t entirely new for Max: especially in the big Champions League matches with Juventus during his first spell, he tried to surprise more highly-rated opponents with lightning starts. Messi’s Barcelona are familiar with this, having been overwhelmed by a brace from Dybala in the first 22 minutes.
Against Napoli at San Siro, the Rossoneri were rewarded for dropping back and then striking on lethal counter-attacks in space. That could change with Monday’s trip south, because Allegri the chameleon always knows how to surprise everyone.
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Allegri is clearly thinking of 4-3-3. But he wont risk it until he guarantees UCL. We’ll see it next season for sure