On Sunday night, AC Milan had a resounding victory to silence some critics and meant they can somewhat enjoy a more peaceful international break.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning that the 3-0 win over Lecce has restored calm to the Milan camp. Above all, it gives some serenity to Ruben Amorim, who had been (too) hastily put under the microscope following the European defeat against Benfica.
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The Portuguese coach responded on the pitch, fielding a team transformed in terms of tactical approach and key personnel. Whether this is merely a blip or if the former Sporting CP and Manchester United man has truly discovered the ‘philosopher’s stone’ remains to be seen.
However, the feeling is that the emphatic win over Eusebio Di Francesco’s team has provided Amorim with some rock-solid certainties to build upon after the break, finally giving the Diavolo a clear – if not yet definitive – identity.
The talisman returns
Christian Pulisic’s first start, for instance, revealed an obvious truth to the Rossoneri coach: there is a Milan with the American and a Milan without him. None of the other players in the squad possess the attributes to bring that element of unpredictability to the attacking midfield role that he guarantees.
The move leading to the opening goal is proof of this. Pulisic makes a run into space, brings down a pinpoint long ball from Strahinja Pavlovic with a magnificent touch, and beats the onrushing Falcone with a quick strike on the bounce.
✨ Another look at this stupidly good first touch and finish from Pulisic 🤌pic.twitter.com/qUaWzGwPX9
— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) September 22, 2026
Point one: the other attacking midfielders lack Pulisic’s knack for making incisive runs. Point two: although he hadn’t scored for Milan in 266 days, his goal-scoring ability remains several levels above the players in similar roles at Amorim’s disposal.
Point three: Pulisic excels at many things, from defence-splitting runs to hold-up play, such as in the build-up to Rabiot’s goal, where he set the Frenchman off with a superb first-time touch. Ultimately, it is hard to imagine Amorim doing without the American in the future, rotation permitting.
Systematic flexibility
On a tactical level, the match against Lecce showed the fans and pundits fans that Amorim is no longer the dogmatic coach who, back in Manchester, went so far as to say, “I wouldn’t abandon the 3-4-2-1 even if the Pope asked me to.”
Against the Salentini, Milan lined up with a back four at various stages, shifting Mario Gila out to the right and dropping Pervis Estupinan back on the left. It was a move that caught Di Francesco off guard and aided the plan to get Samuel Chukwueze further forward.
Can this be replicated in other contexts? The real takeaway is that Amorim devised something different, demonstrating that he has learned from past mistakes and realised that while having a clear footballing philosophy is fine, but tactical inflexibility does not pay off in the long run.
Then there are the selection choices. In defence, the decisions were clear from the start, though less so elsewhere. When a match is being dominated, Luka Modrić is an invaluable asset, especially with Rabiot alongside him.
The Frenchman has returned to central midfield following experiments in the attacking midfield role, even netting his first goal of the season at San Siro. The ‘Crazy Horse’ can play anywhere, but he simply cannot be left out.
Finally, what about Diego Moreira? With three goals in his last 66 minutes of play he is clearly a weapon going forward, albeit used as a substitute so far. Who knows what the future holds? Amorim will have three weeks to mull it over.
And last week they were suggesting he should be replaced by Conte. These Italian media are a joke.
It’s Italy… Emozione!!!
È un’emozione che cresce piano piano. It’s serie A lol
They have to write about something lol. Modern journalism.