AC Milan are still very much in the Serie A title race, although chances looked higher a couple of weeks ago. With that being said, their last two draws have severely affected their cause. Napoli remain one point behind the Rossoneri, as do city rivals Inter Milan, but Inter also hold a match in hand. Milan’s last two matches came against lesser foes, Bologna and Torino, yet the AC Milan attack struggled to generate anything going forward.
The defence continues to play very well, but the Rossoneri cannot continue to get by with ties. As the season approaches its conclusion, Milan’s lack of a finishing touch may very well cost them the Scudetto.
AC Milan Attack Lacking a Finishing Touch
Individual Struggles
First and foremost, Milan are solid overall. The defence is tight, they hold possession, and there are plenty of movements into the final third. Once the team enters the final third, however, creativity wanes and finishing seems nonexistent. This wasn’t necessarily the case all season long, but it has been the case during the most crucial part of the season.
Individual struggles are haunting this squad. Injuries have certainly played a part, but lack of production cannot be ignored. Ante Rebic has not scored for two months. He’s typically Milan’s “big game” and clutch player. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has no intention of hanging up his boots, has not scored in three months. Alexis Saelemaekers, a continuos starter on the right-wing, has not scored for four months. Franck Kessie, Milan’s leading scorer throughout 2021, hasn’t scored for four months. To make matters worse, his mind is at another club. Lastly, Brahim Diaz, a former wizard in Milan’s attacking department, has not scored for six months.
This, of course, is the majority of the team’s attack. Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao are the only ones producing, but if one of the two struggles, then Milan cannot figure their attack out. This is concerning.
Hope Persists for AC Milan
All it takes is one forward finding his stride. Milan’s defence and midfield are quite reliable, the team just needs to finish their attacks.
The remaining league fixtures come against Genoa, Lazio, Fiorentina, Hellas Verona, Atalanta, Sassuolo. This is by no means an easy schedule. Atalanta remain one of the top teams in Italy, while Lazio and Fiorentina can always pose a threat. Milan’s last two matches also show that nothing is ever guaranteed. With this being said, the Rossoneri have produced versus these clubs this season.
Giroud hit a hot streak a few weeks ago but has cooled down. The same goes for Leao. Milan’s best bet is for one of them to return to that form. Ideally, however, two experienced goal scorers like Rebic and Ibrahimovic will find their stride. This is especially important for Ibrahimovic, who’s struggled with injury all season long. He returned to Milan to prove he was still at the top of his game, and although Milan has certainly improved during his time, winning the Scudetto will be the cherry on top of the Swede’s historic career.
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