Milan picked up a 0-0 draw against Newcastle on Tuesday and Lorenzo Bettoni argues the Rossoneri’s glass is half empty after their stalemate at San Siro.
Stefano Pioli’s men needed to bounce back after a calamitous defeat against city rivals Inter the previous weekend. A draw against Newcastle was somehow not enough to heal the Devils’ wounds.
It’s true that Milan dominated, with eight shots on target against Newcastle’s one, but with PSG and Borussia Dortmund also included in the Diavoli’s ‘Group of Death’ it would have been crucial to start the European campaign with a win at home.
Milan were solid defensively, they didn’t concede much to Newcastle and played really well, especially in the first half when Pioli’s men put in intensity, and technique and won many duels in the final third. The Magpies’ keeper Nick Pope prevented the Rossoneri from scoring, but somehow Milan could not produce the same performance in the second half.
Their passes were not as accurate and some of their key players, including Rade Krunic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek looked exhausted, especially the Englishman who was forced off the pitch due to cramps.
Aside from the result, which was acceptable but not ideal considering the remaining opponents in their group, Milan can’t be entirely satisfied with their draw against Newcastle even due to some of their players’ performances, especially up front. Samuel Chukwueze slightly improved in the second half but was never a real threat to Newcastle’s defence. Olivier Giroud looked tired and Rafael Leao missed the best opportunity of the game, trying to go for a backheel shot from inside the box in the first half.
The Portuguese was named UEFA’s MOTM at the end of the game, but Italian media strongly criticised him Wednesday morning.
Another reason to see the glass half empty is the injury to Mike Maignan, who was subbed off in the second half and is not expected to return in time for Sunday’s game against Hellas Verona, although exams undergone Wednesday morning ruled out a lesion and a potentially prolonged spell on the sidelines.
A win against Newcastle would have helped the Rossoneri cancel out the huge derby disappointment, but their draw at San Siro means they are still not entirely out of the tunnel. The European campaign is long and Milan have enough quality to qualify for the Round of 16, but if they fail to do so, they’ll look back to their draw against Newcastle with huge regrets.
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