Injuries aside, Stefano Pioli and his Milan side have failed to deliver at a level high enough to compete in Europe so far and Matt Santangelo recaps all errors made by the Rossoneri in their Champions League group of death.
Once the group was drawn, Milanisti understood the assignment. To qualify out of the ‘Group of Death,’ much more would be required in the collective performance than what may be sufficient in Serie A play. So far, through three matches, the Rossoneri have fallen short in many areas.
Whether it be in front of the goal, in the midfield trenches or defensively, one or multiple areas seem to let them down.
In match day 1 at San Siro, Newcastle United were ripe for the taken. Upwards of 20 total shots were registered by Milan, many of which were on target to test keeper Nick Pope, with nothing to show for it aside from a disappointing scoreless draw.
The control of tempo and possession was evident, and with a stronghold on the tie against a quality side, you cannot spoil the occasion as Milan did.
The Rossoneri then followed up with an away visit to a daunting atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park for their encounter with a tricky Borussia Dortmund side who, despite their constant squad overhaul, remain a difficult outfit to best on any evening.
Unlike the match with the Magpies, this was a tighter affair. Chances were less bountiful for the Italian side. However, the clear-cut opportunities were there for Stefano Pioli’s men to find the breakthrough – but it failed to arrive yet again, forcing them to settle for a second consecutive draw.
Wednesday’s trek to the French capital was always going to be the biggest challenge of the group stage. Despite all their flaws and shortcomings under Luis Enrique so far, Paris Saint-Germain still have abundant talent and stars capable of producing the singular moment of brilliance to decide an outcome on their own.
After the beating they took at St. James’ Park a few short weeks ago, Kylan Mbappé and the Parisian club were expected to have a response and re-establish themselves as the class of the group – and they met those expectations.
Mbappe’s elusive movement near the edge of the box was too much for Fikayo Tomori to handle as he created enough space to quickly get a shot off to beat Mike Maignan near post for the opener. Randal Kolo Muani and Kang-In Lee delivered the second and third punches to Milan’s defence, who had a rough go at the Parc des Princes as the Ligue 1 giants coasted to a 3-0 win to assert their position atop Group F.
If you are a Milan supporter and observe through the lens of an optimist, the window isn’t completely shut on qualifying out of the group, even with just two points. Every opponent has proven flawed in some capacity so far and susceptible to being bested on a given match day. But if you are of the pessimist or realist view, and have watched Milan regularly under Pioli, you immediately point to his questionable record in big matches as grounds to rule out a comeback in this group.
Milan have lost three and drawn two, scoring once and conceding nine, in five big games played so far this season, against Inter and Juventus in Serie A and three Champions League fixtures.
The only exception was an away 2-1 win at Roma in Romelu Lukaku’s debut for the Giallossi.
There are questions about whether this club have the guile and pedigree to grab results in high-leverage situations against top sides both in the league and Europe. For all the attacking reinforcements made this past summer, there is still the over-reliance on solo brilliance from Rafael Leão to carry Milan to victory on nights like yesterday.
Yes, this comes with the territory of being a high-paid star and the club’s No. 10. Yes, he should be scoring that goal against Newcastle in front of goal. However, on these big European nights, when the margins are thinner, the stakes higher and the quality of the opposition superior to most of what will be seen on a regular weekend in Serie A, the collective has to be much better if Milan want to avoid a repeat of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League disaster in which they finished in the cellar. This rests on the shoulders of Pioli, who has to evolve and show he can prepare his group to play up the opposition on a Champions League night and foster a winning mentality when the lights are brightest.