TOP 4 DECIDED
Round 28 of Serie A, when Milan excellently beat Napoli 4-0, they even rose to the Top 3 on the table. But since then, the Rossoneri have been on a tightrope with erratic performances, leaving them always on the line between inside and outside the Top 4.
Since April 29, Milan only won a quarter of Serie A matches and lost 0-2 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter. Disappointing results, especially an unpalatable defeat at the 18th-ranked team Spezia on Saturday night, make the door to next season’s Champions League very narrow, when Milan are four points behind Lazio in the Top 4.
In the last 3 rounds, except for pocketing 3 points before Sampdoria was relegated, Milan also had to meet Juve away and a struggling Verona in the last round. The only real opponent that Milan can overcome in the Top 4 race is Lazio (which is in decline) but they lost the confrontation (0-4, 2-0), so just Lazio need to get 5 more points. is that the Rossoneri are definitely out of the Top 4.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAME
Focusing on the Champions League is a risky gamble that Milan is failing, when the ability to turn the situation around against Inter is not much. It is the price that the BLD did not seriously strengthen in the summer of 2022 despite having just won the Scudetto.
In order to fully focus on the most prestigious arena on the continent, Milan often had to use the second team in Serie A, even changing almost the entire main team in some matches, but not once did they get positive results despite The opponent is not strong, if not weak in the first category: Empoli, Bologna, Cremonese or most recently Spezia.
There is a huge gap in terms of expertise between the two squads, especially up front. Origi, Rebic, Vranckx and especially the biggest summer signing of the summer of 2022 – De Ketelaere (so far has not had a goal) have not brought any positive signals when given the opportunity.
WHAT LIGHT BELOW THE TUBE?
All of Milan’s capital is now placed in the Champions League. They will welcome the return of the brightest star Leao, who has just signed a contract until 2028, in the semi-final second leg against Inter, in the hope of turning the situation around. Chances are not many but anything can happen, and the ball is still rolling, there is hope.
Meanwhile in the domestic arena, if you finish in 5th place (high probability) and Juventus must receive a penalty or be banned by UEFA from participating in the European Cup, the final decision will be made in the near future. , Milan can still go “back door” to come to the Champions League next season.
But no matter what, there must be a radical overhaul this summer. Milan will not be able to go far with a squad that lacks quality and relies on the brilliance of individuals like Leao. The bonuses from going deep in the Champions League need to be reinvested properly, not for “patchy” and lackluster contracts.
Bad year 2023
Milan’s Serie A form since the beginning of 2023 has been extremely poor. Stefano Pioli’s teachers and students only won 7 of the 20 matches played, while also drawing 7 and losing the remaining 6 matches.
