AC Milan 2-3 Atalanta: Five things we learned - Allegri's impact and Leao done

"It’s been nothing short of a nightmare for Milan following the derby win against Inter that, at the time, made the fans dream of a Scudetto race. That couldn’t be further from the truth now, though, as the Rossoneri are fighting for a Champions League spot whilst Inter are 18 points clear of their city rivals."

"Like many times this season, it was a slow start to the game and it resulted in Atalanta opening up the scoresheet just seven minutes in through Ederson. Then, just 20 or so minutes later, Zappacosta added another, with the Diavolo again having no answer whatsoever."

"In the second half, we saw more of the same and in the 51st minute, Raspadori managed to score a third goal after the defence collapsed. With a half-empty San Siro, the Rossoneri finally started to press high up the pitch with five or so minutes to go and seemingly started to create some more dangerous chances which had an immediate effect."

"Nonetheless, that was his peak and he is unable to bring his game to the next level, or anything really near it. Goals and assists aside, Leao just hasn’t been good enough and has not been the leader everybody expects him to be. He’s unable to adapt his game against a low block and he needs too much space to make something happen. As a result, most teams have learned how to handle him at this point."

AC Milan lost heavily to Atalanta despite a scoreline that suggested a closer contest. After a slow start, Atalanta took the lead early through Ederson and doubled it with Zappacosta. Milan conceded again in the second half when the defense collapsed, allowing Raspadori to score. With the San Siro half-empty, Milan pressed late and created more dangerous chances, scoring through Pavlovic in the 88th minute and adding another in the 94th minute. The defeat followed a difficult run after a derby win over Inter, leaving Milan fighting for a Champions League place while Inter pulled far ahead. The match also raised concerns about Rafael Leao’s inability to adapt and lead consistently.

Read at SempreMilan