AC Milan failed to clinch their first win of the season on Saturday evening and were beaten convincingly by Parma. While the stats may suggest something else, the home side perhaps should have scored a couple more goals.
It was an incredibly lacklustre and disjointed performance by Milan, as highlighted by the papers this morning, and a lot has to change ahead of the Lazio game next weekend. Heading into the international break without a win would be a nightmare.
Taking a look at the stats and facts from the defeat to Parma, there are several things to highlight so let’s dive in.
Overall stats
As mentioned, the overall stats might suggest that it was a tight game given the similar XGs, big chances and shots on target tallies. The truth, however, is that Parma created far more qualifying chances and probably should have scored more goals on the night.
Milan, meanwhile, were picked apart time after time in defence and when they had possession, there was no pace to the game at all. In fact, it’s a game that reminded us a lot of what we saw from Stefano Pioli’s Milan last season.
📊 The stats from the loss against Parma pic.twitter.com/WXoLegP2n3
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) August 24, 2024
Worst start in over a decade
With just one point in two games, Milan have registered their worst start to the season since the 2011-12 season, when they also claimed just one point from the first two games. While that season ended up being quite good after all, there isn’t a lot of optimism around this one.
The team has looked incredibly disjointed and Fonseca finding a cure for this in just one week seems almost impossible. Back in 2011-12, Milan drew their third game before and it remains to be seen if this can be matched – or perhaps even beaten – on Saturday next week.
For the first time since the 2011-12 season, #ACMilan have failed to win any of their first two Serie A games. Back then, they also managed just one point.
[via @OptaPaolo] pic.twitter.com/SxT4BdQoF9
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) August 25, 2024
Theo refuses to use his pace
Several players performed poorly yesterday, but one of the worst was certainly Theo Hernandez as he failed to track back properly on the goals. Coincidentally, he was also 9km/h slower than the goalscorer on both goals despite being one of the fastest players in the league.
Looking at the replays from the game, it’s evident that he was simply lazy and didn’t do what was required to help out his teammates. We saw this especially on the second goal, as he jogged back and then put out his arms once the ball had crossed the lines.
As per @SkySport, Theo Hernandez ran significantly slower than Dennis Man and Matteo Cancellieri on the first and second goals respectively yesterday.
[via @espertheo] pic.twitter.com/jMDwaEBf3c
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) August 25, 2024
Theo and Leao (soon everyone) NO RESPECT FOR GIAMPAOLO FONSECA!!! 🤢🤮🤬🇵🇹
I am sure the team will pick up soon. Theo looked really overweight when he reported back.
Sell both “stars” and get the money to invest in players who fight for and feel Milan. I don’t want to have players who are wonderful once per month and extremely embarrassing in 3 games. Enough is enough.
Theo will hopefully be given a couple weeks to figure out whats going on before he sees the field again…how it was decided to put him back in the second half of that game is beyond me…
Unless he’s playing through an injury, watching back the game with his teammates is going to be uncomfortable at best…at worst he will never regain their trust..
Sell Leao now. Next year you’ll be lucky to get $20m. He hardly plays for 10 minutes in most games. He is supposed to be our star player but is mostly out of the game. Baggio was always in play as is Messi as was Pele etc. Leao is not a star player.