The table says that AC Milan have zero points from two Champions League games, but unlike the opener against Liverpool there are some real positives to take from last night’s defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Milan conceded 20 shots on target across the Liverpool (11) and Leverkusen (9) games which is a lot, while Emerson Royal on the right is a problem and Rafael Leao has practically never been dangerous, so there are problems to address. However, the game against the German champions also provided some encouragement.
Youssouf Fofana: After a month in which his condition was far from its peak, we are starting to see the France international at his best. Fofana is the only player with a defensive approach in Milan’s midfield and Fonseca needs him. It is no coincidence that he changed him early against Lecce, to have him ready here in Germany.
The 25-year-old will never be the box-to-box midfielder seen in his last season at Monaco, because Milan are asking him to be a defensive midfielder. Last night he showed he can do exactly that while also having the technical ability to launch attacks.
Alvaro Morata: It is no coincidence that the Rossoneri accelerated when Morata came on. With the Spaniard on the field Milan attacked more, were more dangerous and almost scored through him as well.
Beyond the header he sent wide from close range, we must look at the energy he transmitted to the team. The 31-year-old is not 100% due to bursitis, that’s clear, but he reads situations, knows what spaces to occupy, presses and makes the right choices. He remains the best striker available to Fonseca.
The response: Milan in the first 50 minutes were worrying as they were on the ropes for a long time, but the last 40 minutes however show that Milan can play on par with a team that beat almost everyone they faced last season and are growing.
The evolution under Paulo Fonseca started badly but from the derby it sends clear messages: the players are together, his ideas are beginning to be transmitted and the base level of performances is rising.
Mike Maigian: As we have seen before, Maignan played the game of an elite goalkeeper. In the derby he did the same with the save on Marcus Thuram and in Leverkusen he collected saves on almost all the Bayer players: Frimpong, Wirtz, Grimaldo, Adli, Hincapié, Boniface.
There is a very easy conclusion to draw: if he is well, Maignan is the best goalkeeper in the league and one of the best in the world.