AC Milan played exceptionally in their second pre-season game, as they strolled past Premier League champions Liverpool, winning by four goals to two.
Massimiliano Allegri has learnt more about his squad once again, and can be quite impressed with his Milan side as they played strongly against Liverpool. Trusting the 3-5-2 system again, his team started well and took the lead through Rafael Leao – a very Allegrian goal.
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Unfortunately, the lead did not last too long, as the Rossoneri conceded shortly after, due to a nice strike from Szoboszlai.
The second half started brightly again, as the Rossoneri took the lead once more, through Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Again, Leao was pivotal, with him driving strongly on the counterattack. Just minutes later, the goal was effectively mirrored, this time from the right. Alexis Saelemaekers and Noah Okafor combining, with the latter finishing well first time.
Liverpool scored late on, through Cody Gakpo, but it mattered little as Okafor scored a second, pouncing on a mistake at the back for Liverpool.
The opening stages were filled with both teams having occasional chances to look threatening. As you would expect, Mo Salah was involved early doors, but he was stopped well by Malick Thiaw in the first minutes of the game.
Leao, then, could have had the next major opportunity in the game, as Alisson effectively gave the ball to the Portuguese. However, he was not awake to the risk, and the chance passed him by.
In the central areas, the Portuguese continued to cause trouble, making issues for the Liverpool defence in tight spaces. Put it this way, you could certainly tell that Allegri had tasked the forward with being the focal point. Enhancing the star and putting the focus on him, rather than letting him contribute to the game, as some might say.
It would only be right that he would then score the first goal of the game. The Rossoneri defended well, not allowing their opposition to get through, and the ball eventually found its way to Leao, who was unleashed into the Liverpool half.
As he approached the box, he prepared to shoot and launched a powerful shot, with his weaker foot, it is worth adding, past Alisson at his near post. A beautiful goal, marked by a beautiful tribute to his former teammate, Diogo Jota.
With the goal itself, it had that Allegri trademark. Defend well, attack quickly. Considering how little time he has had with the squad, these imprints are already rather impressive.
The following 10 minutes were mainly filled with chances for the Reds, as Salah and Florian Wirtz linked well a few times. However, it would be Szoboszlai to give the ‘home’ side the lead, doing so with a nice curled effort from the edge of the box.
Throughout the first period, too, it is worth mentioning the headache that Fikayo Tomori was given by 16-year-old Ngumoha. Another telling sign that a right-back was needed, regardless of the wow factor provided by the young winger.
Milan ended the half strongly with a few nice chances. Leao had a chance to shoot, but instead squared it. Youssouf Fofana fluffed a chance on the edge of the box, and Christian Pulisic also came close right at the end of the half.
Allegri opted to make a few changes to start the second half, taking Pulisic, Fofana, Strahinja Pavlovic and Mike Maignan off. To replace them, Noah Okafor, Yunus Musah, Matteo Gabbia and Pietro Terracciano came on.
It only took a few minutes for the Rossoneri to get themselves back ahead. As you would expect, Leao was again instrumental, as the Diavolo broke down the left-hand side, and he fed it into Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who finished well.
Another Allegri blueprint. Another Leao involvement. Allegri visibly proud of things clicking.
A few half-chances for Liverpool followed, but it would not matter as Milan scored a third on the stroke of the 60th minute.
For a third time, the Rossoneri counterattacked quickly, this time down the right-hand side, as Alexis Saelemaekers drove into the opposition half. Then, the Belgian played a hard ball into the area, and Okafor finished it cleverly, first time.
A very strong offensive performance indeed, with the Diavolo proving to be ruthless. Something that was certainly desired.
Shortly after the goals, Allegri opted to take off Leao and Loftus-Cheek, as well as Davide Bartesaghi, replacing the trio with Samuel Chukwueze, Warren Bondo and debutant, Pervis Estupinan. Later, Christian Comotto and Filippo Terracciano replaced Tomori and Samuele Ricci.
As the game came to a close, it was more a case of the Rossoneri defending more, with Liverpool looking to leave their mark late on. However, Allegri’s side defended well, limiting chances for the home side.
Vittorio Magni and Matteo Dutu were also given chances to impress late on, replacing Thiaw and Saelemakers, who both put in solid shifts.
Cody Gakpo scored a nice header in the dying embers of the game. However, a late error at the back from Liverpool allowed Okafor to get through and slot home easily. 4-2, and the game finished just after.
Very solid performance especially on defense, this is what Allegri can bring us this year, solidity and flash counters against better opponents .
RLC can turn into a beast under Mister Allegri , I wanted him out but it’s clear he can do great when properly managed, Leao looks very focused and is helping defensively like I’ve never seen before
Still a friendly game but with additional transfers we can hope for a fresh start
hey i’m tom
We got double toms here. Who’s the real tom.
Lol
Nice to meet u , I’m Tom
That’s right. On counters, small teams play against big ones. Bologna is a smaller and worse team than Milan, so they play attacking.
3-5-2??? I see Tomori at right back, with the Walker position, as Bartezaghi goes high. This is a classic 4-3-3 with the right side pulled back a bit. In the low block, Salemakers is back in line with 5. So don’t fool me with 3-5-2
Leao will do great this season. Why? The formation doesn’t depend on him doing defensive work (plus there’s no Theo behind him but an actual defender.
What do you know? Estupinan got one highest rating (4.3 star) alongside Leao (4.4 star).
And also Estupinan got higher rating than Milos Kerkez (3.6 star)
Great performance, well done boys and the coach.
Very good defensive structure with 442 and clean transition to 541 if needed. For me every player minimum a 6, maybe the weakest for me were bondo and estupinan + the youngest ones, but that is ok, they got the minutes they need. On the other side I was impresed especially by Leao and RLC, and many guys like Ricci, Puli and defense were just classy whole match.
Alegri had 0 strikers in squad and he managed to create a system that got 4 goals, impressive. I am almost sad that we are buying another striker or that Gimenez will return 😀 Leao did great, after two matches, i can see the leader in him.
From attack to defence we moved in unison and that low block was hard for a very attacking Liverpool to get through. I hope this is the first step in becoming a really tough team.
Fun game.
Another good performance by Leao playing more centrally.
I’d like to see how Milan plays vs lesser teams that sit back. All Milan goals came from sitting back and counter attacking. That will work vs a big team, as we saw last season, but how will they be able to create chances vs low sitting defenses where you can’t rely on the counter so much.
Hopefully Modric and Jashari can bring some creativity because there is none of that in the midfielders Allegri has at his disposal currently.
Next Lesser Teams are Perth Glory and Leeds United (mid table EPL)
Relieve Leao of defensive responsibilites and mitigate for it, and he looks great again. Strange isn’t it?
Well, you can’t relieve a winger of his defensive duties in todays football where most fullbacks attack, especially when the full back behind the winger also is relieved of his defensive duties.
You can relieve a striker of his defensive duties though.
Separating Leao and Hernández might be the best thing that ever happened to Leao.
Allegri ball? The tactic is about 100 years old.
You sure do know how to drop nonsense here. It’s one thing to love the game and it’s another thing to know it.
I didn’t think Leao could play in a 352 as a striker instead of winger.
Happily surprised.
It was a flexible formation with Leao, Pulisic and RLC all interchanging positions.
The back 3 were solid. Bartesaghi and Saelemaekers were both much better than v Arsenal.
Better start without Musah in the 1st half. He always feels like an accident waiting to happen when you watch him.
DIXON DICC.KKK, NO MENTION OF PULI S GREAT ASSIST !!!
Am I the only one concerned by the amount of game time given to liberali. I think he needs to play in these friendlies especially more than Magni and Dutu. Imagine having a mentor like Modric, he could make him the best italian cm in the game