Yahoo Sports AC Milan 2-1 Red Star: Five things we learned – Leao the leader and Fonseca frustrations
With AC Milan continuing to struggle domestically, the Champions League, at least recently, has been somewhat of a haven. However, the Rossoneri did not make things easy for themselves once again.
Paulo Fonseca limited his rotations to a minimum for the game, but he was forced to substitute Alvaro Morata and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 29th minute due to injuries – certainly an unneeded thing to add to the list of problems.
Milan were not at all the dominant side, and they seemed sluggish overall with Rafael Leao being the only player adding something to the attack. Therefore, when it was the Portuguese who opened up the game in the 42nd minute after a lovely through ball from Fofana, it was not a surprise.
The Rossoneri then became a bit too relaxed and conceded an equaliser in the 67th minute, in what was shaping up to be another unconvincing performance by Fonseca’s side.
Milan struggled to react accordingly, failing to create much in the next 20 minutes, but they eventually managed to score the winner through Tammy Abraham after Francesco Camarda was denied by the keeper.
The goal marked a fourth win in a row for the Diavolo, who are in a good position to finish in the top 8, but they will need to improve in the last two games to avoid a repeat of the struggles against Red Star.
Here are five things we learned…
1. Leao leading the way yet again
The winger opened up the scoresheet with a lovely goal, making up for an earlier miss. You could suggest that he scored the more difficult of the two chances, which is somewhat ironic, but the goal is all that matters.
Additionally, the Portuguese was a pivotal point for Milan’s attacks, causing a lot of trouble both on the flank and through the middle, playing goalside off the shoulder of the last man rather than closer to the touchline.
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For this reason, it’s only fair to praise Fonseca for the transformation, with the winger looking a lot more dangerous at the moment as he provides a more ‘complete’ and fluid game.
Leao also starts from a deeper position, making himself available more often, which is clearly beneficial. With that said, it’s a pity that the players around him are not up to the required standard to make the most out of the Portuguese’s exploits.
2. Camarda decisive but the first goal is still in the making
The youngster came on in a difficult moment for his team, but managed to help turn a point into a three after beating the defender to head the ball towards the net and he was just denied by the goalkeeper and the crossbar.
Fortunately for the youngster, the rebound dropped to Abraham who buried it and sealed the win for Milan. The way Camarda managed to position himself and beat the defender in the box is not to be underestimated and he was unlucky not to be rewarded with the goal.
We cannot say that it was a lucky attempt either, given that it was almost a carbon copy of the looping header that found the back of the net against Club Brugge, though that time the offside flag denied him.
However, that moment alone shows how much potential the youngster has and it would seem that we will be seeing more and more of him in the coming weeks due to injuries.
3. Abraham an instant improvement
Morata and Abraham are really different strikers and it seems like the Englishman could be the better choice for the starting XI, despite Fonseca’s desire to stick with the former.
The Spaniard works incredibly hard, but he has always been at his best playing with another striker and we’ve seen that when Fonseca fielded both him and Abraham.
As a solo striker though, the former Chelsea man is always more lively and present in the opponent’s box causing trouble for the defenders. Alongside the winning goal, he also had a few more chances where he could’ve scored, so the late goal saves his performance a bit.
The big point is that he gets into these positions and is closer to the penalty box in comparison to Morata, who drops too deep at times, which prevents the Rossoneri from having an option down the middle.
If Abraham is slightly more clinical he will rack up goals and with Morata carrying a slight injury, the chance might come sooner rather than later.
4. Fofana steps up in Reijnders absence
The Dutchman has struggled in the last couple of games, after setting very high standards it must be said, but fortunately for him his partner in the middle stepped up and added a bit of creativity in the mix.
Not only did the Frenchman do well defensively, but he also provided a lovely through ball for Leao for the opening goal, which highlights his vision and passing abilities.
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Whilst he did misplace some passes, he did most things correctly on the night and providing that extra bit of creativity whilst Tijjani struggled was the cherry on top. Another good showing from him.
What has been encouraging is that there have been maybe one or two games all season where both have not been up to par in the same match, and far more where both have been firing.
5. Fonseca’s Milan continues to frustrate
It’s fair to say that the game was a must-win for Milan and it almost finished as a draw, due to the poor performance from the Diavolo.
Fonseca decided to challenge his players after the game, suggesting a lack of effort from some members of the squad, which might be true but the case for the Portuguese being at fault for that is also a possibility.
The reality is that the coach hasn’t really shown he can give his team an identity and a winning mentality. Despite a couple of good games and some good moments, Milan have been consistently frustrating and disappointing since the start of the season.
Against Red Star, where a win was needed and a big win would’ve been a good morale boost after the defeat to Atalanta, his side barely managed to win and truth be told, they probably didn’t deserve the win that much either.
The biggest achievement for Fonseca is probably Leao’s transformation, but what good is that if none of the other players have improved? If we’re honest, it is actually overshadowed by the decline of many since his arrival.
