AC Milan’s success towards the end of last season and in the season opener is in large part thanks to the strength of their defence, a report claims.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) reports this morning, the last goal conceded by Milan in open play dates back to the match against Lazio last April at the Stadio Olimpico – a 3-0 defeat which many thought could put a definitive dent in the team’s chances of securing a top four spot.
From there, the Rossoneri’s ascent began with wins against Benevento, Juventus, Turin and Atalanta plus a draw against Cagliari. In those five games, plus the one to begin the current campaign, Milan did not concede a single game.
After a very positive pre-season for Pioli’s rearguard, the paper remarks how the defence is a perfect mix of positional sense, dynamism and wisdom, which has made it the real strength of the team at the moment.
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Our defense has been awesome since Tomori joined, and he’s still improving each game. He’s perfect for Pioli’s system.
Tomori is a very atypical, but surprisingly effective center-back. I haven’t seen anyone quite like him in Europe.
Sense of calm and experience from Kjaer, youthful aggression and running from Tomori. It’s an excellent pairing.
Maignan also another boost for Milan defence. He has very accurate long ball direct to up front as shown last week. The mature of both full-back also give another strength for the team.