"Milan lost their way at the most crucial moment, after winning the second leg of the derby against Inter and returning to dream of the Scudetto. Among the causes, the attacking crisis is often cited, forgetting that the difficulties at the back."
"In the first 28 Serie A matchdays - that is, up until the 1-0 win against the Italian champions - the Rossoneri had conceded just 20 goals. In the last eight, however, Mike Maignan had to pick the ball out of hit net 12 times. In practice, after the derby, Milan went from conceding 0.71 goals per game to more than double that figure, 1.5 per game."
"In the first 28 matches, the Rossoneri conceded 11 shots per game, compared to 11.62 in the last eight. It is not a significant difference. Yet, the real explanation lies more in the quality of the opportunities than in the quantity. The shots on target against, for example, increased from 3.25 to 4.25 per game."
"While Allegri had kept 13 clean sheets in the first 28 league games, keeping a clean sheet in 46.4% of games, from March 15th onwards the rate of clean sheets dropped to two out of eight (25%). This marked decline has subsequently translated into worsening results. Matteo Gabbia, one of the dressing room leaders, has always emphasised that it makes no sense in modern football to think area by area."
Milan’s poor run of form followed the derby against Inter, when defensive performance dropped sharply. Early in the Serie A season, Milan conceded few goals and maintained strong defensive records, including many clean sheets. In the last eight matches, the number of goals conceded rose significantly, and opponents’ shots on target increased. The issue was less about the volume of shots and more about the quality of chances allowed. Clean sheets fell from a little under half of matches to only two of eight after March 15. The decline in defensive solidity contributed to worsening results, with emphasis on collective defensive responsibility rather than isolated area-by-area thinking.
Read at SempreMilan
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