Author: Reza

Milan disappointed and surprised many by succumbing on their European return and losing 2-0 at home to Benfica a month ago. Now a team seemingly not fully settled will try to get a Europa League win in Austria.

The starting 11 will look slightly different as Tomori, reintegrated after the transfer window closed, is a likely starter. The full starting lineup is mostly guesswork even hours before the match as Amorim has shown little sign of having a preferred 11. The formation itself is going under so called minor changes so the shape on the pitch might not reflect the coach’s trademark 3-4-2-1.

Danny Rohl took charge of Salzburg in the summer and has not lost a game yet. His team, however, sit second to Rapid Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga. Levski Sofia were beaten on Europa League matchday 1.

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Starting 11: Maignan; Gila, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Estupinan; Chukwueze, Musah, Rabiot, Moreira; Pulisic; Ramos

Changes to the starting 11, minor or otherwise, should yield results. A team rebuilt in the summer is certainly not creating too much yet. Gabbia returned with Estupinan holding on to a starting 11 spot that is still a 3-4-2-1 on paper but changes depending on the phase of play.

Gabbia didn’t last long and may be facing more time on the sidelines. De Winter looks to get more minutes as he has to start the season. Milan created some chances towards the end of the first half and did the same in early parts of the second. Rabiot found the back of the net with many hoping that that the improvement would last for the rest of the second half. It didn’t. Sassuolo scored and any progress halted for most of what remained.

Amorim often mentions of having more to do. There is certainly room for lots of the more but there is a limit to how much experimentation and tweaking that can be done within a season. The team is undefeated but ties are two dropped points that cost teams. Milan fans can certainly attest to points dropped here and there costing Champions League spots if not even more.

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Three long weeks ago Milan played their best game of the young season and beat Lecce 3-0. Three weeks of fixture filled international break. World football authorities are still expanding and increasing the number of games many players are subjected to.

It is a positive that Milan come away from this with only one injured player and this solitary setback is not directly a international break and national team duty issue. Saelemaekers’ ankle is not in good shape and the previous 2024 injury has destabilized the area so much that the Belgian requires another surgical intervention that will keep him out into 2027.

In the meanwhile Amorim seems to have tweaked his preferred formation into a kind of 4-2-3-1 or as some see 4-1-4-1. A change the coach claims is not minor. The first hints of it were positive in the Lecce match and so they seem to continue. Gila will be defacto right back in this set up with De Winter, Pavlovic and Bartesaghi at the back with Modric and Rabiot the middle tandem. Chukwueze and Moreira will be pseudo wingers with Pulisic more central behind Ramos. The latter needs more goal mouth presence and goals. his heatmap for the start of the season look too much like a midfielder. if he picks up form the momentum created in what feels like an age ago can be maintained.

Domenico Berardi and Sassuolo led by Alberto Aquilani will try to recreate past form against Milan. A midtable spot after five games hasn’t told observers too much about I Neroverdi.

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Starting 11: Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Estupinan; Saelemaekers, Pulisic; Ramos

The starting lineup featuring Estupinan raised some eyebrows. Rabiot switching from more and less advanced roles, on paper at least, remains questionable. But at least in the case of the Frenchman he is popping up everywhere on the pitch and contributing with running and ball winning. Musah being on the bench is perhaps questionable too.

On to the gamer itself, before long Milan started dominating possession and Pulisic, showing good form, latched on to a high ball and managed to sneak in the ball behind Wladimiro Falcone in Lecce’ s goal.

Less happened in the rest of first half. Saelemaekers was working hard and Pulisic was sweating as he often does. the team grew in confidence slightly and Rabiot had a give and go with Ramos and managed to stay onside and to double Milan’s lead.

Interspersed in the game where whistles were not being a blown for stamps and studs and it looked like a simple nudges and pushes are a bigger crime in football these days. Moreira came on and before long took on the ball confidently and beat the Lecce goalkeeper for Milan’s third.

Milan’s possession number remained high despite a few Lecce half chances that were easy enough for Maignan and the more active and organized Milan back three. The game finished with both Ramos and Camarda on the pitch. The former continued to play far from goal in a modern football move that is unlikely to help the forward too much (see the heat map below).

A long three weeks international break starts with some national teams playing four matches. There is certainly no such thing as rest in football. It remains to be seen if Amorim and Milan can benefit from the break.

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The less than impressive 2-2 come back tie at Lazio provided evidence that Amorim is less than certain about his lineup choices and the team have not settled under the new coach’s system. Or perhaps worse.

Benfica and Rui Costa visited the San Siro for Europa League matchday 1 and easily beat Milan. A less than ‘A team’ squad started the match but then Benfica played even more of a B team. The loss and especially the second goal conceded were poor and even alarming.

Is Milan in another crisis early on with a new coach and supposed radically different system? Fan and pundit sentiment certainly points that way. Amorim should indeed be given time but the coach needs to find a stable 11 and decide how to use players like Modric, Rabiot, Morerira and others. A convincing case can be made that the likes of Estupinan and Loftus-Cheek are not the solution at all.

Some fans pointed to Conte’s presence at the Benfica game to hopes of his hiring sooner rather than later. This should be avoided in my opinion. If Amorim fails – and he surely needs more time – than the next coach must not be a volatile one that will clash with most around him. A compentent and proven coach may or may not be available but more thought should be put into hiring someone who will offer more stability.

Lecce have had a 2 wins in the 4 matches so far. Often linked to Milan Tiago Gabriel, a central defender, has scored twice for Eusebio Di Francesco’s men.

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Starting 11:
Maignan; Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Musah, Jashari, Bartesaghi; Hutchinson, Cisse; Ramos.

More changes made the starting 11 arguably a B team, this was both expected and surprising. Amorim has not settled on his team so far in this young season. Terracciano for example does not inspire confidence and if he is to be the alternate or back up the season will have more questions and problems.

Benfica outdid Milan however. Marco Silva made wholesale changes to his squad that won their league match versus Gil Vicente on the previous weekend.

The team looked poor, insecure at the back and there was no tangible threat on the Benfica goal. On the occasion that something made its way to the opposition goal Anatoliy Trubin dealt with it well.

The first goal was conceded from a good shot that beat Maignan from a distance and the second goal was a classic case of no marking and coverage where Jakub Kaminski had space to direct the cross ball over Maignan’s head with no attempts by any Milan player to block the shot.

Unlike the Lazio match four days earlier the subs made no real difference. On a night where current Benfica president Rui Costa was given a warm welcome by Milan fans it was Benfica who had their first ever win against Milan.

Questions are being asked about Amorim, the summer transfer window and the players themselves. Milan need to find solidity at the back and more goal mouth action for Ramos and others soon or another crisis is on.

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Starting 11:
Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos

For reasons only known to Amorim, Estupinan was trusted again, as did Loftus-Cheek. Also best known only to the coach and the player the Rabiot’s more advanced role was reversed, for thestart at least

From the kick off the team seemed out of sync and not in any meaningful control. Lazio took the game on very soon after the game started and Milan seemed incapable to manage the back and there was no transition or quickness to move forward. Lazio probably recognized that Estupinan and Chukwueze in the wingbacks were not the most effective defenders. Milan’s three center backs provided little cover.

Cancellieri took early advantage as Estupinan was caught frozen and ball watching. Noslin scored to double Lazio’s lead from a mess a that the whole team could be blamed for. The look on De Winter’s face as he watched the ball go in the net with his own leg raised as if to direct towards his own goal was telling.

Changes were needed. Moreira, Pulisic and Musah came on for Estupinan, Loftus-Cheek and Modric. Even the latter was struggling in the first half.

Urgency was evident, Milan moved better and faster. The ball passed around better and the team seemed far more in tune. Moreira even showed flashes at the back. The Belgian scored from two fast paced plays, finishing well enough to raise the whole team. Pulisic showed flashes of too. Cisse continued to work hard and had one particular good moment just before getting subbed. He showcased quick feet to get a right footed shot not far from the far end.

Luckily for Milan the hosts were not that much better and the ball spent a fair amount of times being bounced around. Juve’s half chances are dealt with by Maignan and the post helped on one occasion.

Moreira had a decidedly uncertain first Milan start and the talk of him replacing Chukwueze in the starting 11 may deserve a re-think, for now at least. Not that his teammates were superior but Chukwueze is in form now and provided the assist for the goal as well.

Hutchinson made his Milan debut and was involved in the build ups in the time remaining. Camarda got a few late minutes in relief for Ramos

This game was another lesson for Amorim in who can be trusted and has the better potential. With the schedule getting busier and Europa League matches coming there is lots to do.

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The 1-1 tie at Juventus was Milan’s first dropped points of the season. Only three games into the season this isn’t saying too much but seven points out of nine is still a positive start to a new era. The match did however present questions and added to an existing one at least.

Amorim had decided to go with Moreira and bench Chukwueze, based on the latter’s early season form that would seem a mistake. It turned out to be a wrong decision and Moreira – on his Milan debut – struggled, along with most of his teammates. Whether Moreira’s preference for the right side or right wing is something the coach sticks with remains to be seen. The other issue that was seen in the first two matches of the season as well is fitness. Milan players seem to be unprepared for a full 90 and the performance drops as the minutes go by in the second half. This is partly explained by Amorim’s more intense style, as compared to Allegri last season. Whatever the correct explanation is this has to be remedied especially more so with more matches this season. For example Milan start their Europa League season by hosting Benfica four days after this Lazio match.

Other line up decisions exist of course. Cisse scored again and deserves starts but his minutes are probably best managed. Is Pulisic fit enough to start, many have questions and wonder. The coach himself has said that the player will get minutes when ready. Expect to see the American get minutes very soon.

Musah and Modric seem in good form in the middle but the latter just turned 41 and will need rest, especially in high intensity systems. It is hoped Jashari is able to fill in more often. At the back Gabbia is back in training but De Winter could retain the spot for now. Gila limped in late at Juventus but is declared fit.

Estupinan, almost sold in summer, seems to have more of Amorim’s trust but many hope Bartesaghi convinces the coach sooner rather than later.

Gattuso’s men have won all three of their matches to start the season and the coach has demanded a more aggressive team. This will be a good test for Milan’s stamina and temperament

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Starting 11:
Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Moreira, Modric, Musah, Estupinan; Rabiot, Saelemaekers; Ramos

A first tougher test of the season proved a bit too much for the new Milan.

Cisse came on from the bench and found the back of the net similar to his first goal of the season. He and his teammates didn’t fare too well overall and conceded a last minute goal to a pressing Juventus.

The game had started with Juventus pushing Milan deep and it was rom the first moments that Milan lacked something, perhaps cohesion. All 10 outfield players seemed nervous, rushed or unable to execute.

Luckily for Milan the hosts were not that much better and the ball spent a fair amount of times being bounced around. Juve’s half chances are dealt with by Maignan and the post helped on one occasion.

Moreira had a decidedly uncertain first Milan start and the talk of him replacing Chukwueze in the starting 11 may deserve a re-think, for now at least. Not that his teammates were superior but Chukwueze is in form now and provided the assist for the goal as well.

Deeper in the second half the need for a central defender signing was on display on a few occasions. De Winter, Pavlovic and even Gila liiked susceptible while defending up high. Cardinale and was in the stands and will probably be more convinced to move in January window if this display turns out to be a correct indicator.

With all this said Milan were leading into added time but a cross was met well only by Juve players and Gatti beat Maignan from a close range header.

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Two wins out of two is a positive start but now a tougher stretch starts. Juventus, Lazio, Europa League match up versus Benfica and more are ahead.

The summer transfer window shut with perhaps less than expected or hoped for. Loans and no last minute incoming players have made for a squad that can be called bare and lacking depth. The situation required “re-integrating” a frozen out player so Tomori, who couldn’t or wouldn’t find a destination, was welcomed back into the squad. The team has one still injured central defender in Gabbia and then Gila, Pavlovic, De Winter and aforementioned Englishman for the back. Of course Filippo
Terracciano, Diawara and even 18 years old Vladimirov are available but this is not the most deep group with more matches and especially more so if injuries come into play.

The midfield is not so bare but it depends on Amorim’s evaluation of each player. For example it is week 3 and there are some questions. Moreira has declared his preference for the right side of the pitch, so now it seems that the Belgian is in competition with Chukwueze for the right wingback spot. Dropping the Nigerian after his preseason and early season form seems unproductive but it is what some predict may happen as early as this Juventus match.

Modric, Jashari, Musah are available for the spots between the wing backs. Estupinan is competing with Bartesaghi for the left sided position of the pitch. Ramos is set for the top of the pitch with only one natural backup in Camarda. Behind him and in front of the middle four there are options. Rabiot has performed well in a more advanced role and will likely replace Loftus-Cheek as the starter. Cisse is a promising prospect, as evidenced by his week 1 goal and preseason exploits but it is likely he will not remain a regular starter. With the likes of Pulisic, Saelemaekers, Hutchinson and indeed Moreira are capable of being the attacking players of course it will be interesting to see how Amorim uses his players.

Juventus have Kerim Alajbegovic, Nick Woltemade as notable additions up front with a new goalkeeper in Guglielmo Vicario on loan for Tottenham. For his first full season at the helm Luciano Spalletti let the likes of Jonathan David and Michele Di Gregorio leave the Old Lady.

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