1 day ago
29
AC Milan’s midfielders have struggled to contribute with goals so far this season, despite Massimiliano Allegri mentioning double digits at the start of the campaign.
After the defeat against Lazio, speaking to the media, Allegri made it clear that the midfielders haven’t contributed enough goals for Milan. When taking a look at the numbers, as highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo at the bottom) it’s hard to disagree.
No midfielder, unless you consider Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers, has scored more than one goal this season. Adrien Rabiot and Ardon Jashari are still searching for their first goals, even if some slack can be cut for the Swiss international who only just returned.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (goal against Lecce), Luka Modric (goal against Bologna), Youssouf Fofana (goals against Udinese), and Samuele Ricci (goal against Atalanta) all have one goal each. This goes against Allegri’s words, speaking of double digits for some of his midfielders earlier this season.
Data behind the struggles
This is an issue, especially since the Scudetto rivals Napoli and Inter are the opposite. Antonio Conte’s side have scored elven goals through Kevin De Bruyne, Zambo Anguissa, Scott McTominay, and Billy Gilmour, while Cristian Chivu’s team boasts five goals from Hakan Calhanoglu, even without considering Piotr Zielinski, Petar Sucic, Niccolo and Barella, all of whom have one.
So, why are Milan’s midfielders struggling? Digging into the data, there’s no single explanation for all of them. Fofana, for example, is averaging over 1.6 shots per game and has hit the target the eleven times (compared to Pulisic’s eight), but he’s gotten very little out of his many attempts.
Loftus-Cheek also has trouble aiming (just two shots on target out of 12), while Ricci, Modric, and Jashari attempt fewer shots, especially from outside the box.
The real anomaly, however, is Rabiot. With Max, the Frenchman set his record for goals in a single season, reaching 11 in 2022-23 at Juventus. Yet, something hasn’t gone according to plan so far, with zero goals for the Rossoneri,
Furthermore, he has only attgempted six shots in total, three of which went wide and three were blocked by defenders.
Set-piece goals lacking
Above all, Rabiot is lacking is in his contribution from set pieces, despite being a speciality of his thanks to his height and above-average timing. It’s no coincidence that Allegri, with his comments after the Lazio game, spoke not only of the need to score more from midfield, but also from set pieces.
“Pulisic and Leao are scoring,” Max then clarified, dismissing reporters’ questions about adding a striker in January. Instead, the real signing would be to increase the number of midfielders. They need to start on Monday against Torino, when they will play to keep their spot at the top of the league
English (US) ·