AC Milan failed to extend their winning run as Atalanta prevailed 2-1 at Gewiss Stadium. It was a disappointing game in many ways for the Rossoneri, but we have picked out the five key takeaways from the clash.
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Paulo Fonseca was livid with the referees after the game, as he felt the first goal should have been disallowed, but Milan also let the affair slip out of their hands after Alvaro Morata’s equaliser. In short, they only have themselves, and below are five things we learned.
1.Fatal lack of desire
There was a clear lack of desire in the second half, as Milan seemed perfectly content with just one point. Coeardsness would be another way to describe it, as the game certainly was there for the taking at one point.
Around the 60th-minute mark, the tempo had slowed down significantly and the Rossoneri actually owned quite a lot of possession. However, they almost always played it backwards, even after breaking through Atalanta’s first block.
The fact they had zero (!) shots on target in the second half says it all. It’s just so incredibly poor and with this in mind, Atalanta deserved to take all points. Because they actually tried to score, even if both goals ended up coming from set pieces.
2. Centre-backs looking good
We highlighted it earlier today as well, but if there’s one positive to take from the defeat, it’s the partnership between Matteo Gabbia and Malick Thiaw. Both looked really solid and had nothing to do with the goals conceded, keeping Atalanta at bay in open play.
The feeling is also that they complement each other very well. None of them are afraid of duels, of course, but Gabbi’s positional awareness is perhaps a bit better for the time being. Thiaw, meanwhile, adds bold passing and pace that his colleague doesn’t always have.
It’s very nice to see that we finally have a solid centre-back partnership, but it’s equally true that it took way too long for Fonseca to find the right duo.
3. Scudetto, bye bye!
It was gone before the game, most likely anyway, but the defeat certainly confirmed that Milan won’t be able to compete with the best teams this season. They are currently 12 points behind Atalanta and that is a huge gap, even with the game in hand.
In fact, the Champions League race is even looking difficult and that is no good for the management, as losing out would be a disaster financially. It would likely lead to at least one big sale and less investment on the market, as there just wouldn’t be funds for this.
Something needs to happen in January, otherwise we could kiss the UCL goodbye as well. To make a bold prediction, missing out on the competition might even lead to Gerry Cardinale selling the club.
4. Top 6 record is dire
Milan have now faced all of the top six teams in Serie A, as per the current standings, and they claimed just five points from these games. There was a total of 18 points up for grabs so that says quite a lot about the struggles.
The only win came against Inter, which was indeed nice, but Milan have failed to impress in the other games and that has cost them dearly. Just like with many other things, this is something that the appointment of Fonseca was supposed to fix.
It probably comes down to the lack of depth compared to the rivals (among other things). Just take last night’s game as an example, Atalanta kept their top goalscorer Mateo Retegui on the bench until very late and still won.
5. Hernandez is a problem
The full-back seemed ‘off’ from the start last night and although it was a nice pass to Rafael Leao before the goal, everything else was subpar from him. He lost the aerial duel against CDK, was consistently beaten by Raoul Bellanova on the flank and added little in attack.
In the dying minutes, he also gifted a 1v1 to Retegui and if it hadn’t been for Mike Maignan’s save – as well as Emerson Royal’s tackle after – then it would have been 3-1. Unfortunately, this is not just one of a few poor games, but rather one of many for the vice-captain.
The contract renewal seems increasingly distant and troubles off the pitch mean it’s far from easy for the player currently. It’s certainly something for the fans to keep an eye on.