AC Milan have zero points from their first two Champions League games, and yet the second half against Bayer Leverkusen gave several positives to build from.
As Corriere della Sera (via MilanNews) write this morning, Milan might be without a point thus far but no panic has set in because they still have six games to go, five of which are easier on paper. Thus, the chances of at least getting a spot in the play-off round remain positive.
Paulo Fonseca declared after the game that Milan had their best performance of the season in Germany and in the eyes of the paper he is right: the last half hour – and only that – must be the point from which to build from.
After the goal by the German champions, the Rossoneri woke up and created several goal-scoring opportunities. We cannot pretend that the first hour of the game does not also exist, in which the Milan team lacked courage and enterprise, qualities seen in the derby win over Inter.
In Europe, playing well for half an hour is not enough to bring home a positive result, especially against quality teams like Bayer Leverkusen. It will be up to Paulo Fonseca to find the key to doing well in the Champions League too, starting with using Alvaro Morata alongside Tammy Abraham.
Morata in particular is proving to be an increasingly essential player: even against Leverkusen, his entrance onto the pitch gave a mental boost to all his team-mates and he perhaps should have equalised.