Lazio – Milan, the reasons of yesterday’s flop

Milan suffered the first defeat of the season against Lazio. The team and especially manager Montella have been under scrutiny for yesterday’s performance and choices.

AC Milan’s first seasonal defeat, after six wins in six games, is extremely heavy in result and substance. At the first true test against a high level team, the Devil collapsed as few were expecting. Merit of a great Lazio and an Immobile in his best shape (three goals scored and an assist) however the k.o. at the Olimpico has highlighted all the limits of a team under construction but still far behind than what was expected. La Gazzetta dello Sport analyzes the defeat factors.

MONTELLA’S CHOICES – Milan has changed this summer so much and manager Vincenzo Montella is certainly the man more responsible to measure the pulse of the situation and find the needed tactical solutions. But the choices made against Lazio do not convince: to face a direct opponent and quality team like Inzaghi’s Lazio, leaving in the bench players such as Kalinic and Andre Silva, Bonaventura and Calhanolgu was certainly an error. The midfield’s three always suffered biancocelesti’s superiority and solutions on the flanks were missing. Moving to a defense of three seems unavoidable, also considering the characteristics of the players in team. The proper place must be found to footballers of quality, like the players left on the bench yesterday.

FEW IDEAS AND ATTITUDE – The approach to the game, in the first 15 minutes, is the only positive note of the Roman afternoon. In the middle you could often see ball recoveries and attempts for rapid verticalizations, with insertions from the midfielders, Kessie in particular. Then, Milan left the initiative to the opponents and took refuge in the passes of Bonucci and Biglia, almost never effective. The center of gravity dropped dramatically and the team struggled without ever trying to recover the ball with the right rage. Problems already seen in San Siro against Cagliari, Lazio, which has more qualities in singles, has only amplified them.

BONUCCI AND THE LEADERS – Many errors while trying to set up the game, worse in the defensive phase. Bonucci loses Immobile in the action leading to 2-0 for Lazio. It is one of the two key moments of the match, which is why the captain’s error weighs more than others. But the former Juventus defender is in good company, from Biglia to Suso, Milan missed the contribution of the leaders, crucial for team in growth.

THE MISSING REACTION – The second episode that knocks Milan down is the start of the second half: no reaction, rather, two more goals. Vincenzo Montella after the match highlighted this, but during the game he chose to start with the same eleven. Wouldn’t it be appropriate, even to give a signal to the team, to enter Calhanoglu and Kalinic from the first minute of the second half?