Milan have picked up two successive 0-0 draws and Olivier Giroud was the last Rossoneri striker to put his name on the scoresheet more than a month ago.
The Serie A giants haven’t scored in two successive games for the first time since February 2021 and could see Inter climb to the top of the table if they win their game in hand against Bologna on April 27.
Ismael Bennacer scored Milan’s last goal in Serie A on March 19 in an away 1-0 win over Cagliari and Olivier Giroud is their last striker to have found the net more than one month ago (1-0 win over Napoli at the Stadio Maradona on March 6).
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been struggling with injuries this season and scored his last league goal in January against Venezia. His contract runs out in the summer and it’s still unclear whether or not he will extend his stay at the club. The Swede missed Milan’s trip to Torino last week.
Brahim Diaz, Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic have also failed to impress lately. Today’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport has an article about Diaz and Leao, where they ask: ‘Would you wake up?’
Brahim had a great start to the season but scored his last goal in September, while Leao has been more consistent than the Spaniard but scored his eighth and last Serie A goal in mid-February against Udinese.
Rebic has only scored three goals across all competitions this season (only two in Serie A), while Alexis Saelemaekers provides balance, but has struggled to find the net consistently, having scored only twice this season.
Milan will sign at least two more attacking players next summer. They have reportedly reached an agreement with Liverpool’s Divock Origi, who would join the Rossoneri as a free agent, and will soon discuss Domenico Berardi with Sassuolo.
It remains to be seen if the Rossoneri will make Junior Messias’ move permanent for €4m from Crotone. The Brazilian has managed five goals in 26 appearances across all competitions this term.
Although the Rossoneri have become really solid and are the best defence in Serie A in 2022, their attack has not been up to the task, especially during the last month and a half and Stefano Pioli will need more from his strikers to keep Milan’s title hopes alive.
Something has to change, at least temporarily, to overcome this barrier
My suggestion is what I’ve been saying for almost a year. First things first, Diaz should never start a game for Milan unless we’re forced to through injuries and such. He is the weakest player in the team (not to mention out of form) and yet he has occupied the most important position in our setup. A team should always play with it’s best 11 and Milan’s best midfielders are Tonali, Bennacer and Kessie. At one point a few weeks ago these three started games together and we won some crucial matches. Diaz can come in for the last 10 or 15 minutes to run at tired legs.
And I think it’s high time for Pioli to introduce a plan B. When it’s not working it’s not working, change something to throw the opponent off and break their strategy. I haven’t seen this, as Milan tries the same thing until the last second, only going more direct. In his defense though, he has practically no options on the bench, so there’s also that.
It’s a strange dip in form because the same players had been very productive last season. Diaz’ dip in form is obvious but as is the decline of many others. The club needs to upgrade its roster this offseason. So much irrelevant and non-impact players holding us down like an anchor.
Pioli may need to change formation until the end of season to shake things up.
When we build from the back, our three-man backline of Tomori, Tonali and Kalulu can do whatever should have Their, Calabria, Diaz, Alexis and Leao looking for spaces, but they seem to mostly run into each other’s squares – When Theirs run starts, look at Diaz and Leao, and add to that Giroud pulling out too often.
On the right, Calabria does well to go on the overlap but by the time for the reasing oazz comes, Alexis has either dribbled the ball away or walked it straight to Diaz 25 meters from goal, so even if he got the ball to Calabria for the cross, there’s only Giroud in the box, Leao never chases the D, Diaz would be outjumped by most youth players and Bennacer typically hold’s back while Kessie charges, who, if got the rebound, finishes what, one in 20 shots? Never mind the cross, has he finished a single one on goal all season?
Tonali is our only real threat in midfield (I think of Leao as an attacker and Alexis a midfielder, along with Diaz, the way Pioli attacks) and he gets closed down too easily.
Unfortunately, every other option against Torino was not on the bench but on the treatment table so I really don’t see what Pioli could have done differently.