AC Milan Waste Opportunity Against Direct Rival in Sampdoria Clash

There goes another game AC Milan could have won.

A 1-1 draw against sixth-place Sampdoria is not a bad result, but it is not good enough for Milan. They could come to rue the chances they had against a direct rival for Europa League qualification. Sampdoria hold the last European spot in sixth place, with Milan seven points behind them.

Jeremy Menez couldn't score this time, costing Milan a goal instead.

In the second half, former Inter man Samuel Eto'o intercepted a no-look, backwards pass from Menez and played the assist for Roberto Soriano, who ran behind the static Milan defence before finishing off the move.

Nothing worked for the Frenchman—not the back-heel passes or the slaloming runs or the crosses into the box. 

Menez was no better in attack. He ignored teammates on the run and did too much with the ball when a simple upfield pass would do. There was no connection between the front three.

And that's the problem. When he's not performing, neither are Milan. 

It was that lack of teamwork in possession that hurt Milan's overall production: Only six of their 26 shots were on target, per WhoScored.com. 

Most of those came from Alessio Cerci. He was positive with the ball but ultimately futile. He would cut in and take a shot from far off, only to send it wide. Cerci left the field to the sound of jeers.

Luca Bruno/Associated Press

Despite all of their attempts on net, Milan had to depend on an own goal to get back in the game. Off a corner kick, Nigel de Jong swung around and hit a half-volley and substitute Alfred Duncan redirected the shot past goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

It was a desperate attempt from one of Milan's best performers this season. De Jong's contract expires at the end of the summer, and he gave the upper management yet another reason to reassess his future with the club. 

The rest of the game left a lot to be desired. Mattia Destro received two good crosses inside the box, but failed to place the header or shot in the right place. He later injured his knee and left the field in tears.

It was a heartbreaking image of an unsettled striker so starved of service. Destro is the main casualty of this Milan, a total misfit, the kind of player who lives and dies off a team's creative supply. 

If only Suso played more. Again he was neglected on the bench, and he was more resourceful in 30 minutes than Cerci in double the time. A curling strike from the Spaniard in the 82nd minute could have won Milan the game. It rattled the post.

But that brief appearance was a window into his talent, if little used. It is perhaps Inzaghi's biggest mistake to keep the 21-year-old on the bench.

More regrets and more wasted opportunities: That is the story of their season.