GdS: Milan ‘picking up speed’ – how Amorim’s side overwhelmed Atalanta then nearly collapsed
AC Milan and Atalanta played out one of the best games of the early Serie A season at San Siro, but it nearly ended in disaster.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning that Ruben Amorim’s Milan are beginning to take shape, but it is too early to declare ‘mission accomplished’. At the very least, that remains true as long as the final stages of matches continue to be as agonising as they were yesterday.
Atalanta had been completely overwhelmed by Milan’s performance, to the extent that a total rout seemed inevitable at 3-0. Then, Maurizio Sarri’s inexplicably late substitutions, combined with a sudden stagnation from the Rossoneri completely shifted the momentum.
Milan bear the greater share of the blame: there is no clear explanation for such a drastic tactical, physical, and psychological decline. It was a stark contrast to the exhilarating, high-energy football displayed against Salzburg and for the first hour yesterday.
It was as if two separate matches had been played: the first ending 3-0, and the second 2-0 in favour of Atalanta, spurred on by substitutes Gaetano and Zalewski. Had Krstovic’s shot not struck the post, the story would be very different today.
Nonetheless, Milan got a second consecutive win, a spot in the Champions League places (for now), and the stars stepped up. Amorim knows his project is still missing something, but there is a platform from which to build.
Amorim gets it right
It wouldn’t be fair to overlook the sheer beauty of the first half, yet one suspects that Amorim’s brand of ‘total football’ demands more energy than Milan can currently afford to expend. New strategies will need to be devised to sustain this intensity for a full 90 minutes.
Even the closing stages against Salzburg – where the Austrians took control – felt like a calculated, understandable attempt by the Rossoneri to manage their resources. Regardless, this is a versatile Milan side that has finally forged an identity.
They are characterised by flashes of attacking play, fluid positional rotations, and exhilarating, surging build-up sequences. Amorim made seven changes to the lineup that featured in the Europa League, but the outcome remained the same.
This Milan are a complex, enigmatic proposition: the tactical foundation is a 4-3-3, with Mario Gila perfectly suited to operating on the right as part of a ‘three-and-a-half-man’ defensive line. Yunus Musah and Luka Modrić take turns dictating play, while Adrien Rabiot drives forward with power.
The attacking trio features Goncalo Ramos flanked by Samuel Chukwueze and Christian Pulisic. While the tactical setup may appear to shape-shift, it can also be interpreted as a 3-1-4-2 formation, one that completely overwhelmed an already struggling Atalanta side.
Atalanta not at the races
While Milan showed signs of life, Atalanta appeared frozen, with Maurizio Sarri merely shifting pieces around as if playing a game of Subbuteo. After three defeats using a 4-3-3 formation, the successful switch to a 4-2-3-1 against Venezia and Pafos had seemed like a turning point.
But then again, that was only Pafos. In any case, tactics only go so far. Atalanta’s personnel choices were all wrong: Bernasconi, Pašalić as a central midfielder, Rowe on the left wing, De Ketelaere as an attacking midfielder, and Samardžić on the right – each one performing poorly.
Krstović was the only one asking questions, and that was not enough. De Ketelaere looked lifeless, Samardžić was aimless, and Pašalić was completely overrun by Rabiot. To make matters worse, Moreira ran rampant down the left flank, while Modrić was busy painting a masterpiece.
It is true that Sarri has the excuse of eight absentees – a number that grew to nine when Kolašinac went down early on – but something is fundamentally wrong at Atalanta.
VAR gives, VAR takes away
VAR proved decisive, as the referee Chiffi failed to spot key incidents inside the penalty area. Pulisic scored what would have been the opening goal, but he was in an offside position.
Shortly after coming on, Obrić handled a powerful strike from Musah, leading to a penalty that Gonçalo Ramos converted to make it 1–0. Following an imaginative through ball from Moreira, Rabiot arrived with full force to slot home the second goal.
Early in the second half, VAR intervened again, this time for a handball by Kristensen from a Rabiot shot. Ramos’s attempt was saved by Carnesecchi, but from the ensuing corner, the French midfielder provided a brilliant headed assist for Gila.
A belated awakening
Hindsight is the easiest thing of all, yet waiting until 0–3 to take action is simply inexcusable. Sarri brought on Zalewski and Gaetano in place of Pašalić and Rowe. Lo and behold, it was the Pole who spotted the midfielder’s run into the box and delivered a pinpoint pass: 3–1.
However, it took another 15 minutes or so before Scamacca was introduced, shifting the formation to a 4–2–4 with two center-forwards. Krstović’s goal to make it 3–2 was followed by two chances for Zappacosta – the first of which drew a brilliant save from Maignan.
It was a complete shift in the match’s momentum, which left Rabiot angry. Atalanta took control, playing aggressively and constantly on the front foot, with Bellanova turning on the jets down the right flank. Meanwhile, Milan looked diminished.
This was partly due to the substitutions (Hutchinson, Estupiñan, Loftus-Cheek, and Jashari) and partly due to Amorim’s decision to retreat into a 5–4–1, a rather discouraging signal. The threat of an equaliser loomed right until the end of stoppage time.
Next up is Bournemouth, an ‘English exam’ for Amorim’s tactical ambitions,followed by a clash with Udinese, a side currently in such deep crisis that they might even replace their manager Runjaić.
