AC Milan have been able to keep themselves in the title hunt despite running into various difficulties in large part thanks to the excellent work of Stefano Pioli.
Tuttosport (via MilanNews) talk about his ability to adapt and evolve the team according to needs – which has often been based on various injury crises which of course have not been lacking this season – and thus has been able to get more out of the players available.
Pioli has often used the 4-2-3-1, which gave the players certainty and confidence, but he has tweaked this system several times and even adapted it to find valid and effective solutions, while maintaining some unpredictability too.
For example, having full-backs who cut into the middle, having midfielders who push up and become attacking midfielders and other bits of intuition mean Pioli has been able to vary the 4-2-3-1 and to surprise his opponents.
Luciano Spalletti was the last to be outfoxed as Pioli sent Milan onto the field in Naples with a sort of 4-1-4-1, with Kessie no longer a ‘false 10’ but more of a midfielder alongside Bennacer and Tonali the regista. This sent the Azzurri into a tailspin, giving the Diavolo another night to remember.
