AC Milan’s season hit a new low point on Tuesday night as they were hammered 4-0 by Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.
For the third game in a row Milan found themselves two goals down at half-time, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mattia Zaccagni each netting from inside the area to give Stefano Pioli’s men a second half mountain to climb.
Unlike he Lecce game there would be no heroics though, as a penalty from Luis Alberto and a fourth from Felipe Anderson condemned the Rossoneri to a hiding in the capital which continues a bad 2023.
The defeat not only probably hands the title to Napoli who now have a 12-point lead atop the table, but it leaves the top four race wide open with Lazio climbing into third and Milan now sitting just one point above Roma in fifth.
Pioli made a couple of changes to his starting line-up compared to the team that lost to Inter last week and both came in defence, with Pierre Kalulu returning and Sergino Dest stepping in for the absent Theo Hernandez.
It took less than five minutes for Milan’s fragile defence to be breached, as Lazio took the lead through Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. An attack down the right flank saw Felipe Anderson roll a ball into the box that was dummied by Luis Alberto and was swept home first time by the Serbian midfielder.
In truth, the exchanges that followed resembled a side with an obvious plan and some cohesion in their pressing, while the other team instead seemed more focused on knocking the ball long and hoping for some individual brilliance from Rafael Leao.
Milan tested Provedel for the first time on 18 minutes when Sandro Tonali turned into space just over 20 yards out and let fly with a fierce shot that deflected straight down the middle of the goal for an easy save.
There was another setback suffered midway through the first half as Fikayo Tomori collapsed in a heap having taken a knock on his hip, and he had to be replaced by Simon Kjaer.
Things went from bad to worse a few minutes later as Ismael Bennacer had a foul awarded against him for putting an arm in his opponent’s face and he reacted by kicking the ball away, resulting in a yellow card that sees him banned for the Sassuolo game on Sunday.
Just like in their last two games, Milan left themselves with a mountain to climb by going two goals down in the first half. This time the attack came down the left side, with Pedro putting Marusic through on goal and his shot hitting the post before rebounding into the path of Zaccagni, who essentially ran into the ball to put it in from a couple of yards out.
Milan were inches away from getting themselves back into the game in the opening minutes of the second half with what would have been a stunning free-kick from Bennacer. The Algerian got his effort over the wall via a very slight deflection that took it narrowly wide of the near post with Provedel at full stretch.
The Rossoneri were lucky to hear the referee’s whistle when Kjaer went into the back of his man and earned a yellow card, because it meant Lazio were denied an advantage that would have seen them through on goal.
After a counter-attack had been squandered by a poor pass from Tonali to Messias, a triple change was made which saw Alexis Saelemaekers, Divock Origi and Charles De Ketelaere come on for Messias, Diaz and Giroud.
Lazio were given the chance to put the result to bed with 25 minutes left on the clock as a ball in behind Milan’s defence was not met by anyone allowing Zaccagni to burst onto the loose ball and cut it back to Pedro in the box, who was chopped down by Kalulu. Luis Alberto took on the responsibility from the spot, and hammered it down the middle.
Three goals became four with a quarter of an hour left and again it came down Milan’s right side. Zaccagni got the better of Calabria yet again and found Luis Alberto, who played a lovely ball into the path of Felipe Anderson which allowed him to spin and convert unmarked on the penalty spot.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Indeed. We have the best GK in the league. For sure. No need to make changes. The defense was rock solid. No need for changes. The midfielding pair is absolute top-notch. Both of them are the best passers in the league. Fine as we are and no changes there, please.
Attacking quartet? Best in the league. Lazy-Leao, Tiny-Diaz & Messi(ass) creates and Giroud finishes. No need for changes.
Fine as we are. Mercato closed as we won last year too. With the same formation. No need to change a winning formation.
The thing I love about Pioli is his tactical adaptability. When facing injuries, etc. Last season we could witness different tactical approach within 2 different games in a row. But now, it’s gone out of thin air. Don’t really know what happen.
The sad thing is that we already fielded our best line up (minus Mike of course) in the last 2 games. So there’s no other excuses.
Great match. Very enjoyable. I still believe in scudetto. 🙂
I believe in champions league. This team can defeat the likes of Real Madrid, PSG etc.
For sure! They are already trembling in London.
lmfao
Jesus Christ, I’m not one to criticize Pioli often but that was terrible, absolutely terrible. I have no words. The new owners need to step in here, we could end up in 6th if this continues.
6th? I love your optimism. 😀
Still time for Juve to pass us by. Already in February.
Pioli out!
I’m starting to believe in this too.
Same.
Man it makes me sad, Pioli seems like a good guy and he did so well responding to difficult moments last season but he doesn’t seem like he’s up for it this year.
Why on earth do we have other goal keepers and not use them must we stick to tata all d time why can’t we try out others and players like Adli too can play from the start… this is beginning to get wesser
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Tatarusanu can only make a save IF the shot goes directly at him. Even in the penalty he jumped away from the ball so it wouldn’t hit him.
You couldn’t have said it any better. This begs the question why Pioli is not playing Mirante or Vasquez. If he does not sub Tatarusanu for the next match then there is something we all don’t know.
You’re not the only one wondering these things my friend, Pioli was made a fool of by Sarri tonight. Tata has been awful, why not play the new GK, jeez I’m so angry right now I don’t even have words. Pioli has only one plan, no plan B nothing. Clueless
We can’t play Adli as Benny & Tonali are the best midfielders on the planet and Diaz & CDK the best trequartistas. Everyone knows that Diaz & CDK will create the scoring chances we need, right?
Seriouly, WTF is Pioli’s problem? Adli cannot be worse than Diaz & CDK. And even Krunic would have been 1000x better than Tonali today. We need to admit that Tonali had a stroke of luck last season and is nowhere near good enough to be a starter. He makes Krunic look like f’ng Modric.
The Adli situation I have given up on. He is fit and available and he is not getting any minutes. Like he is not even in the team, I also don’t understand why Messias has been a starter in the last two matches.
Regrettably we seem to be in a crisis, and I don’t see an easy way out. I hope that we buy Zaniolo and that the Zlatan’s return invigorates the team.
I hate to agree but even Zaniolo would be a huuuge signing for this team. He’s one of the most overrated players in the league yet he’d still be a massive boost for this crappy bunch of amateurs.
#Zaniolo_in #everyone_else_out
We are struggling to build from the back. I am not a fan of Tatarusanu and the coach should take responsibility for our last four matches including the final we lost to city rivals.
The arrogance Pioli has shown is truly astonishing. I know there have been injuries and the players have done their share in letting the club down but Pioli clearly cannot integrate new signings or come up with any tactics that fit his personnel. Milan don’t have a shape the players just stand around and react, out of possession they just ball chase and in possession they have no ideas or movement. Today was embarrassing Milan hasn’t been in a game mentally since the second half of the Roma game.
Its more then time to pioli play the new keeper Vasquez has i already said Tata is one of the worst keepers to wear Milan shirt in the 6 games we had 18 shot at our gol and we conceded 13 goals Olivier and Comp always blaming the defence and midfielders but the true is that at every 3 shots at our goal 1 goes in guaranted!But we should keep playing tata last 2 games we conceded 7 goals if that is no reason to change keeper and maybe play gabbia or thiaw instead of kalulu well then dont know what to think!
I think Tatarusanu made one save tonight! He’s the best.
Why is Pioli insisting on Tata, forcing the same formation that is not working, insisting on this formation without playmaker, they can’t create anything in attack. Maybe last year he produced miracle but this year he shows that he has no potential for adaptation. Injury crisis with no clue what is the mean reason (most likely the training methods). This is average team and this is the reality, real miracle was Ibra he made all the players beter then they are. First step sacking Pioli, he is doing.nothing just hoops that things will change.
This is bad.
I’ve always given Pioli benefit of the doubt, but him, Maldini, Massara, and the ownership NEED TO FUCKEN REACT!! and stop being so meek.
Jesus! The fans are not fools!! Fans know exactly what’s wrong with a club so stop saying this team is ‘fine as is’!!
This is bad… these guys could fuck up a promising project in a matter of 5 months… All of them.
The sad thing is that even if M&M bought 5 new players tomorrow, Pioli wouldn’t play them until May.
So true I see now after two seasons he can’t integrate new signings because he has no tactics to teach… they are left to guess and figure it out themselves
Dismiss, dismiss, dismiss
From today i change club to Chelsea.
Pioli should be sack five match without a win and we also consume 13 goals in in five game this is too poor for the raining Italia champion
Serie B Quality
Oh boy I’m gonna sleep well this night. Reminiscing all the good plays and goals Milan made tonight. All the excellent passing plays and rock solid defending. Maaaan, what a display. What. A. Display.
I got two words (or one, depends on how you count it) for you all: scudetto-worthy. Forza Milan.
Maldini needs to go as well !!!
The fact is last year our defence was far more solid .
Yes we need our goalkeeper Mike ,back .
We just can’t seem to defend anymore ..Yes they say and that’s true ,a good defence is the start of attack .
We are not delivering crosses in for Olivier Giroud.
The service to him against lazio was non existent.
Rafeol leao has suddenly lost all his confidence and belief he is not getting past the last man ,let alone delivering crosses into the box .Salemakers strangely enough when he came on he did try to put crosses into the box ,but sadly by then our best attacker was taken off ..Yes I am speaking about Olivier Giroud..
I would like to see him up front with Rebec as his partner…Even tonali who is often consistent ,was caught out of place too often ,,Calabria had his worst game in a Milan shirt …The fact is we need a leader back who installs confidence at the back our goalkeeper Mike ..We are not relaxed at all on the ball at the moment ..What’s the answer ..I don’t know!
Can we bounce back ..Yes but it needs to be soon ?