AC Milan have simply not been at the same levels as last season with regards to keeping the ball out of their own net, as the 2-1 defeat against Torino last night showed.
MilanNews writes that Milan have already conceded 13 goals in the league this season, a figure higher than all the top-ranked teams with the exception of Inter (17). Stefano Pioli’s side failed to obtain a clean sheet for the third consecutive Serie A match, conceding twice for the fourth occasion having done so against Inter, Napoli and Udinese.
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Aside from the numbers, there has been the impression that Milan are not as resilient this season as they have often let in goals from potentially avoidable situations. The set piece that opened the scoring for Torino showed it, while they allowed Aleksei Miranchuk to get a shot off less than two minutes later to make it 2-0 and essentially create a mountain that was not climbed.
The record extends to the Champions League too. When looking at the 17 matches played between the league and the UCL, Milan have kept a clean sheet only four times (Bologna, Sassuolo, Juventus and Dinamo Zagreb).
The injury to Mike Maignan plays a part because he is a goalkeeper who provides more than a guarantee between the goalposts, because his saves are partnered with charisma, leadership and the ability to instil confidence in the defenders in front of him.
The true MVP
Exactly.