After the one in the Supercoppa derby, Milan collects another very heavy knockout. The 4-0 inflicted on them by an overwhelming, compact Lazio, perfect in their movements and timing, leaves the Rossoneri 12 behind Napoli at the end of the first leg and with enormous physical and psychological doubts. (record)
Maurizio Sarri’s team, on the other hand, dreams big and climbs to third place, at -1 from the Italian champions. Who leave the Olimpico in full crisis, in terms of play and – above all – character. Very fragile behind, convoluted in midfield, impalpable in attack. Lazio, on the other hand, plays one of its best matches in every department. On all the authors of the goals: Milionkovic-Savic, Zaccagni, Felipe Anderson and Luis Alberto, but the performances of Cataldi, Pedro and Marusic are also worthy of mention. F.Anderson plays in place of the injured Ciro Immobile.
With Pedro and Zaccagni he forms the attacking trident. Pioli relies on Giroud as central striker and fields the American Sergino Dest in place of the unavailable Theo Hernandez. Not even the time to review the deployments, that Lazio is ahead. Escape on the left wing of Zaccagni and cross. Clever veil by F.Anderson and Milionkovic pounces on the ball.
His angled left foot gives Tatarusanu no chance. The defense is confirmed as the Rossoneri’s weak point at this stage of the season. In the stands, the faces of Paolo Maldini and sporting director Massara express all the disappointment of the moment. Milan immediately tries to react, relying above all on the speed of Messias and Brahim Diaz and the power of Leao. A shot from distance by Tonali, central, was blocked without worries by Provedel. At 23′ Tomori stops, touching his left thigh. Enter Simon Kjaer. The hosts didn’t press too hard, preferring to wait for Milan on the threshold of their own half, and then restart with sudden accelerations.
In the 36th minute the doubling seems to have been made with the sortie of Pedro and F. Anderson and the Brazilian anticipated by a hair’s breadth. But two minutes later it’s 2-0: Pedro vertically for Marusic who hits the base of the post. Zaccagni breaks in and just has to push her inside. Milan tries to stay in the game, but all the weight of the attack rests on Leao’s shoulders, with Giroud not arriving. In Lazio Luis Alberto and Milinkovic tower in midfield, distributing poisonous balls towards Pedro, Zaccagni or F.Anderson. Lazio ends a perfect first half forward.
Pride shook the Rossoneri and at the start of the second half Bennacer came close to crossing the posts from a free kick. More aggressive, Pioli’s boys try to consolidate the ball possession they lacked in the first 45′. It is an initiative which, however, proves to be sterile in the long run, because Provedel takes no risks. Indeed, it is Tatarusanu who has to come out on F.Anderson to avoid the 3-0. Then Pioli tries to change the score of the match: out Brahim Diaz, Giroud and Messias; inside De Ketelaere, Origi and Saelemaekers. But in the 20th minute Di Bello decreed a penalty for Lazio.
It all started from a mistake by Kjaer, Hysaj intercepted the ball and served F.Anderson deep. He ball towards Pedro, mowed down by Kalulu. From the penalty spot Luis Alberto is impeccable. The 4-0, in the 30th minute, is the photograph of the match: on the left wing Zaccagni quickly burns a soft Calabria and serves Luis Aberto who can dance undisturbed in the area to serve F.Anderson, while Dest has already figured out how it will end and the Brazilian scores the 4-0. Milan is gone.
“We have to go back to Milanello quickly to work, these are not our possibilities. At the moment many things are not working, from a mental and tactical point of view”. Thus Stefano Pioli to DAZN after the 4-0 with Lazio. “I’m here to talk because I have to, otherwise it would be better to keep quiet and work. Today we are a team with little lucidity – added the coach – We need more communication between the players. Tonight we managed the maneuver quite well, but on the pitch more compactness and collaboration. Scudetto? Now we have to go back to playing as we know how to do, I’ll try to talk less and work more”.
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