For all their impressive work this season and having led the league for over 20 rounds, this current Milan team seem to be rather ‘two-faced’.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport highlights, the Rossoneri seem to be a different team in the first quarter of an hour after half-time and the last 15 minutes, when including stoppage time. From the 46th minute to the 60th, Milan have conceded 12 goals out of 34 in the league, with only Spezia (15) and Crotone (13) worse.
For context, in the other 15-minute segments Milan have conceded a maximum of 6. The last match with Sampdoria was no exception as Quagliarella’s lob arrived in minute 57 and the game before that against Fiorentina saw Ribery score in the 51st.
Milan are the most formidable team in injury time after the 90th minute having scored five goals in that time, with only Sassuolo able to match that. It is not trivial given the points that were earned in the 2-2 with Hellas Verona, the 2-2 with Parma, the 3-2 win against Lazio, the 1-1 against Udinese and the same against Sampdoria.
Extending that range from 75 minutes to the final whistle, the tally remains quite high. Including the five added time goals we have just mentioned, the Rossoneri have netted 12 times from 75 mins to full-time (Juve leads in this category with 16).
If Milan were able to get ahead rather than have to chase from behind due to a lack of awareness after half-time, we could be discussing a different season.
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A driving factor in these stats could be how often Pioli makes subpar starting lineups and has to correct them, but doesn’t until way late in the second half. We all know: Rebic is better than Leao, Salesmaker is better than Castillejo, Dalot is the better subbing for Theo and Kalulu for Calabria. Pioli never changes his formation. Instead he goes crazy, scrambling the pieces (Meite as a 10, Krunic at left wing). Other coaches figure out how to exploit this and after their halftime briefing Milan gets punished. Then Pioli doesn’t put the best pieces back in order until the last minutes of the game.
You’ve said it all,he’s not serious because if at this last hour where all these clubs are angrily playing for Europe qualification and he’s still doing try and error with a team he has already gotten his best eleven hmmm don’t really understand him anymore after all the hard work he’s throwing it into the gutter.