It was against Sassuolo at their Mapei Stadium that AC Milan won their first Scudetto in 11 years on the final day of last season. And now, eight months on, the same opponents served up a 5-2 defeat at San Siro to all but end the reigning champions’ title defence.
On this bright but crisp Milanese afternoon, Milan’s players could only apologise to the ultras stacked in the Curva Sud. The hosts were picked off by a team who hadn’t even scored five goals in their previous eight matches combined and sit in 16th place. Even Stefano Pioli signalled on Sunday that he had given up hope of defending the title, saying “our Scudetto will be getting into the Champions League”.
This has been quite the comedown for Milan after the triumph last May which saw such jubilant scenes for Pioli, the players and the huge travelling support that day. The Rossoneri are without a victory since their first game back after the World Cup and are far from firing currently.
This latest defeat was on-trend for Pioli’s team. They unravelled against Roma to concede two late set-piece goals from Roger Ibanez and Tammy Abraham to bring about a morale-crushing 2-2 draw. Still, that shouldn’t have floored Milan, but they have appeared insecure ever since.
Torino, down to ten men, knocked Milan out of the Coppa Italia in extra time, then Lecce raced two goals ahead in a Serie A meeting a few days later before Milan launched a spirited comeback to rescue a point. But worse has come since then. Firstly in Riyadh where Inter Milan tore through their city rivals and won the Italian Supercoppa 3-0. Then in Rome as Lazio struck four to condemn Milan to a crushing defeat.
“Pain” was how Pioli described his emotions after such a poor run — they are now winless in six matches — and that will only have deepened when Sassuolo showed his team up this weekend.
The Emilia Romagna club have been a bogey team for Milan ever since achieving promotion to the top-flight a decade ago. This was the fifth time since that they have scored at least three goals in a game against the Rossoneri, and it was their 4-3 win in the reverse fixture that provoked Massimiliano Allegri’s sacking in 2014.
Even so, Alessio Dionni’s men arrived without a win of their own since October and were ripe opponents for Milan to regain some face in front of their own supporters. However, Domenico Berardi ran the show for the visitors, setting up the first two goals before heading home the third. The Italian international also assisted Sassuolo’s fifth, with Armand Laurienté scoring from the penalty spot in between and that proved the cue for San Siro to empty.
There was no doubt Sassuolo were the stand-out performers here. Milan may have felt hard done by when Olivier Giroud had a goal ruled out for offside when the game was goalless but they were always playing catch up. Giroud’s headed goal made it 3-1 and substitute Divock Origi scored with a right-foot curler to end on 5-2.
Stark downturn can quickly turn into crisis
Yet, the question is: How did Milan get here? Pioli sounded as perplexed as anyone: “Everything that has worked for us over the past two years has stopped working in the last month.” The absence of goalkeeper Mike Maignan — a star performer last season — has certainly been felt at the back. Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu have missed his presence and their precocious partnership broken up by injury over the autumn and affected by oscillating form.
Further up field and there were problems too. The edict appeared to be ‘get it in to Giroud’ but that quickly became predictable and Milan went long spells without touching the ball in the Sassuolo area. He and Theo Hernandez have just returned from a World Cup final loss and the after-thoughts that accompany such a defeat.
Rafael Leao is debating whether to commit to a new contract and was dropped against Sassuolo, the promising Charles De Ketelaere was instated but the pair were switched at half time. The failure to replace Franck Kessie in the summer is also clear.
The difference in mood between then and now is stark. Milan are only four points worse off than a year ago but unlike then, Napoli are racing away at the top of the table and look set to end their Scudetto drought.
No one denies that Milan’s title success last term was a case of overachievement. Their return to the top of Italian football came against the odds and the element of dominance never truly existed — as seen by them claiming the title on the last day. Their 19th league title now looks like prized opportunism.
Pioli has tried to snap Milan back into action anyhow. The manager cancelled days off after recent defeats and has remarked that there has been an improvement in “concentration and application” on the training pitch. That is yet to correspond to matches.
Such scrutiny hasn’t fallen on Pioli since Milan lost 5-0 to Atalanta before Christmas three years ago; he was two months into the job at the time and Ralf Rangnick’s shadow stalked him. But Pioli turned it around and neither he nor Milan have looked back.
The waters are becoming choppy, though. Up next is the Derby della Madonnina against Inter on Sunday and, in two weeks time, Tottenham Hotspur come to San Siro for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
With Roma, Atalanta and Lazio having all started 2023 so well, and Spurs favourites for European progression, Pioli and Milan need to regather themselves. Whether that’s going to a back three or losing a No 10 to stiffen the midfield remains to be seen. “It’s clear there will be some changes,” Pioli said. “It would be foolish on my part to carry on down a path that isn’t getting results.”
Captain Davide Calabria was the first to seek forgiveness from supporters after another chastening afternoon on Sunday. Pioli and Milan cannot afford too many more like this.