Tactical Review of Milan's Lacklustre Performance In Their 2-1 Loss To Lazio

AC Milan got beaten by a high impact Lazio side who took advantage of their chances while Milan squandered theirs. Here’s a review of the game:

Lack of Defensive Discipline

Two of Milan’s most dependable players Romagnoli and Donnarumma were both at fault for Joaquin Correa’s late winner in the game against Lazio. Romagnoli was slow to respond when the ball broke free but also hesitated to pressure Luis Alberto who provided the assist. Donarumma was terrible positionally throughout the game and was on his knees even before Correa had taken the shot on the second goal. On the first, he was easily lobbed by Immobile’s header while he had a few slip ups on set pieces. Our RB and LB were often caught out by Lazio’s speed and this vulnerability needs to be nipped in the bud.

Bennacer Can Pull The Strings

The Algeria international was very positive against Lazio and got the ball moving better than Lucas Biglia is able to and more fluidly than Tiemoue Bakayoko did last season. The defensive midfielder is good at winning the ball back but often loses out of physical tussles however he knows how to dribble with little space and get the ball to a team mate. The new signing looks more settled with each passing game but needs to take more responsibility to push Milan forward to win as opposed to losing steam around the 75th minute. Bennacer had a few key passes that led to dangerous attacking positions for Milan.

Hernandez is the new Suso

Milan have been too reliant on Suso in the past couple of seasons to be the primary and only creative outlet on the squad. Since Hernandez emergence, he has taken this new role and has become the new focal point for Milan’s attack. However, this has been noticed by opponents who are working to crowd him out of the game. He could have had an assist against Lazio but the goal was chalked up as a Bastos own goal. The former Real Madrid man is pacy, creative and gutsy; he is truly one of the best signings Milan has made in a long time.

Milan Lucky To Score

Milan had a tale of two halves against Lazio. In the first half, Milan were daunting and were playing good attack minded football. Milan knew how to exploit Lazio’s weak centre and kept hitting hard down the middle. Hernandez, Paqueta and Bennacer were particularly effective in finding ways to bring Piatek and Castillejo into the game. The Spain international was the biggest threat for Milan and was extremely active before pulling up with an injury. The major issue with Milan continues to be the lack of finishing in the box and the poor touch of the strikers that makes it harder to make anything of the few chances created.

Confidence and Determination Lacking

The biggest fix for Milan is to get the players to buy into the vision of the club and the belief that they can win. Over the past five or so games, Milan look like they shut down when the clock hits 75 minutes and fall asleep defensively whilst simultaneously not put in any attacking work. Milan have conceded goals and lost points after the 70th minute against Lazio, Lecce, Fiorentina, Torino, Inter Milan and Udinese. The confidence aspect is one visible through the attitude of the players, there is less belief and fire this season than there was under Gattuso. Milan need their fire back.