Sassuolo Defeat Poses Several Questions to AC Milan Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic

AC Milan’s 2-0 defeat to Sassuolo not only dented their hopes of achieving Champions League qualification, it also put their current league position under threat.

The Rossoneri are now just three points clear of their weekend conquerors and lie sixth in the Serie A table. As such, this latest loss could have serious ramifications on the club’s season.

Beyond the result and its direct consequences, several questions were raised by Milan’s performance on Sunday afternoon. Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will be seeking quick answers to these uncertainties in order to get his team back on track as soon as possible.

Here are the three most important questions following on from Milan's defeat at Sassuolo.

Is Andrea Bertolacci Destined to Be a Flop?

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There is no doubt that Andrea Bertolacci is a good player. The 25-year-old established himself as one of the finest midfielders in Serie A while at Genoa, something that prompted Milan to shell out €20 million last summer as part of their extensive rejuvenation project.

However, for much of his first campaign at the San Siro, the left-footed technician has struggled to stamp his mark upon the team.

Earlier in the season, the primary concern surrounding Bertolacci was how to fit him into the starting lineup. A fine passer with a deft touch and good close control, his elegance was considered an asset, but one that required some sort of protection.

As an outside midfielder in a 4-3-1-2 system, he was not given this, though the switch to a 4-4-2 shape was seen as a step in the right direction as far as incorporating his talents into the team was concerned.

Alongside a more combative player in Juraj Kucka, Bertolacci has less running to do. And, with a more stationary role, he could—hypothetically—concentrate on threading those passes that saw him garner acclaim with Genoa. But this has not been the case so far.

Against Sassuolo, he was by no means the worst Milan player on the pitch, but he again failed to impact the game in any meaningful way. It was merely the latest below-par display in a season which—according to WhoScored.com—has seen him accrue his worst average rating since 2011-12, which he spent with Lecce, who were relegated.

As it stands, considering his high transfer fee and underwhelming performance, Bertolacci is set to be a big-money flop. Mihajlovic’s objective must now be to investigate if and how such an outcome could be avoided.

Will Mattia De Sciglio Ever Fulfil His Potential?

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Another player to underwhelm against Sassuolo was Mattia De Sciglio. Standing in for the suspended Ignazio Abate, he started on the right side of Milan’s back four but put in a distinctly average showing.

At 23 years old, the versatile full-back—who can operate on either flank—continues to show signs that he will not progress to the level initially expected of him when he broke through to the first team.

As recently as November 2014 he was being compared to Rossoneri icon Paolo Maldini, even by the man himself.

Per Football Italia, Maldini said at the time: “I think De Sciglio can follow a similar path to me at Milan. Things aren’t going too well at the moment, but he can have a career like mine." 

Against Sassuolo, De Sciglio earned a poor rating of 6.21 from WhoScored. His underperformance is now a long-running issue meaning that, at present, he appears unlikely to become the player many felt he could have become.

This is a problem as he is considered the go-to replacement for either Abate or left-back Luca Antonelli whenever either is unfit or suspended.

If Mihajlovic cannot maximise the player's potential, it may be time to give 19-year-old Davide Calabria a more prominent role.

Can Carlos Bacca and Mario Balotelli Play Together?

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Individually, Carlos Bacca and Mario Balotelli bring a lot to the table. The former is a clinical goal machine who enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last man and ruthlessly exploiting any space available to him; the latter is a whimsical trickster with unrivalled audacity and high levels of technical quality.

On paper, they should dovetail well together, but that has unfortunately yet to happen.

In the defeat to Sassuolo, the pairing were again incapable of linking up. They were disconnected from each other and isolated from the rest of the team, ultimately rendered impotent. This particular issue is a real nuisance for Mihajlovic, who needs to find a replacement for M’Baye Niang.

With the French striker ruled out for the rest of the season, Balotelli was given an opportunity to take on the mantle of partnering Bacca, but he failed to contribute much, failing to register a single touch in the Sassuolo penalty area, per Opta Paolo, before being substituted on 54 minutes.

Time is running out for Balotelli and Bacca to prove themselves able to work effectively with one another. With Milan’s grip on a top-six spot loosening, Mihajlovic cannot afford to hesitate with a misfiring strike duo.