Olivier Giroud’s AC Milan lost heavily on their lawn (5-2) on Sunday afternoon against the poorly ranked Sassuolo, during the 20th day of Serie A.
AC Milan continues to sink at the start of 2023 with a heavy defeat at home, at San Siro, against the poorly ranked Sassuolo (5-2), Sunday during the 20th day of Serie A, in line with a month January upside down. Despite a goal from Olivier Giroud, his first since the World Cup, the Rossoneri were once again unrecognizable, as they had been in the Italian Super Cup against Inter Milan (3-0) ten days ago or Tuesday in Rome against Lazio (4-0).
The defending champion has conceded eighteen goals in seven matches in 2023. He lost in the scudetto battle behind Napoli, is threatened to also lose his place in the Top-4, in addition to his elimination from the Italian Cup by a Torino at ten (1-0 ap). The Milanese are provisionally in 4th place in the standings, behind Naples, Inter Milan and Atalanta Bergamo, pending the matches of Lazio Rome (5th by one point), which receives Fiorentina at 6:00 p.m., and AS Rome (6th to one point), traveling to Naples in the evening in the poster for this first day of the return phase.
If the Neapolitans succeed, Milan will be fifteen points behind the leader. “We probably won’t keep the scudetto, but our scudetto will be to stay in the Champions zone (four first places, editor’s note)“admitted coach Stefano Pioli on Sky Sport.
«Since the non-victory against Roma (2-2, January 8), we have not managed to put our qualities on the ground. It’s hard to react when you take a hit. We only overcome these moments by working together, with solidarity“, he added, admitting that it was necessary “change somethingin view of the derby against Inter Milan in a week.
Once again, everything went wrong for his team, like two goals disallowed for offside, against Neroverdi (16th) yet they too were not at their best, since they had not won in the league since. october. Gregoire Defrel (19th), Davide Frattesi (22), Domenico Berardi (30th), Armand Laurienté from the penalty spot (47th) and Matheus Henrique (79th) corrected a dying Milan defense. The goals of Olivier Giroud (24th) and Divock Origi (81st) did not weigh heavily in the eyes of the fans, some of whom loudly expressed their dissatisfaction or even left San Siro before the end.
«We concede too many goals, it’s difficult to win when you concede three, four, five goals…sighed Giroud. In fact, it had been 25 years and a 6-1 defeat against Juventus in Turin since AC Milan had not conceded five goals at home. “We must stay united and fight together. It’s a difficult time, we all have to get up together“, he concluded.
