In their game against Cagliari yesterday, AC Milan deployed a different tactic than what we are used to for the full-backs. It’s something that Stefano Pioli praised the full-backs for in his post-match comments.
We are all used to seeing Theo Hernandez bursting down the left-hand side with the ball, and the same can be said for Davide Calabria but to a lesser extent. Yesterday, however, the two often found themselves further inside the box.
Hernandez almost looked like an additional midfielder at times, also receiving the ball to his feet rather than into space. When asked about the matter by Sky Italia (read in full here), Pioli revealed why it was like that.
“I’m fortunate to have two very intelligent full-backs, who know how to read spaces. Today, Cagliari were aggressive on the flanks and left us more space inside the pitch. We were good. When you have intelligent and willing players, everything becomes easier. We are having a good season, but it’s still long.”
It was indeed an interesting solution that often resulted in a chance, seeing as Hernandez is also very good at driving the ball in the centre of the pitch. Calabria was also able to intercept more in certain situations, winning it back quickly.
