5 Reasons Why It's Not All Doom and Gloom for AC Milan
Last Saturday, AC Milan’s winless run was extended to five games as they lost 2-1 at home to Juventus. In that period, the team have picked up just two points. This disappointing sequence leaves the club without real hope of obtaining a top-three Serie A spot and Champions League football next season.
However, while recent weeks have provided the Rossoneri with little to cheer about, there are some positives regarding both the performances of the team and certain individuals within it. There are also interesting prospects for the fans to look forward to in the near future.
Here are five reasons why things aren’t all bad for Milan right now.
Team Progress
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After 32 rounds of Serie A fixtures, Milan find themselves in sixth place, with a record of 13 wins and nine defeats, 42 goals scored and 35 conceded, with a points tally of 49. This may not sound overly impressive, but it is an improvement upon last season.
At this stage in 2014-15, while the Rossoneri had the same number of defeats, they had won just 10 times. Evidently, Sinisa Mihajlovic has made some improvements since his appointment last summer.
Under the former Sampdoria coach’s influence Milan are undoubtedly more of a cohesive team than they were previously, with a stronger defensive shape and an improved collective work ethos. They may not be the most exciting team in Italy, but they have become a more effective unit.
Youthful Promise
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Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this current Milan side is the quantity of talented young prospects who are currently in the first team or on its fringes.
Seventeen-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been outstanding since his promotion from the club’s Primavera, and he has been described by Mihajlovic as “the future of Italian football,” per Goal. And he isn’t the only academy graduate with a promising future ahead of him.
Nineteen-year-old right-back Davide Calabria showed signs of promise in his four league appearances earlier in the campaign, while more recently 18-year-old central midfielder Manuel Locatelli was brought into the first-team squad.
These three players, along with 21-year-old defensive rock Alessio Romagnoli and skilful French forward M’Baye Niang (also 21) show that the future is bright for Milan.
European Possibilities
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While Milan have failed to win in their last five league games, they remain sixth in the table, one point clear of nearest challengers Sassuolo. This lead, while marginal, is something Mihajlovic’s team should be expecting to hold on to.
In their six remaining Serie A fixtures, the Rossoneri have home games against relegation-threatened Carpi and Frosinone, as well as a trip to face bottom-of-the-table Verona. Those three matches are eminently winnable, meaning nine points from nine should be the target.
Away fixtures against Vincenzo Montella’s Sampdoria and Roberto Donadoni’s Bologna, as well as a last-day welcoming of in-form Roma to the San Siro, will prove trickier but far from impossible for Milan.
The possibility of maximum points is highly unlikely given the team’s recent form, but the fixture list offers enough hope that Mihajlovic can steer the team to a top-six finish and subsequently secure European qualification for the first time since 2013-14.
The Chance of Silverware
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Milan’s latest league game may have ended in defeat, but it also saw the team put in a good effort against Juventus. This was all the more important for Rossoneri morale considering they will meet Italy’s reigning champions in the Coppa Italia final on Saturday, 21 May.
As Mihajlovic’s side chase Europa League qualification via the league, the cup gives them another possible route into continental competition. Perhaps more important than that, it also offers the club a chance to win silverware for the first time since their 2011 Italian Super Cup triumph.
Mario Balotelli's Improved Form
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Rarely is the form of one player something for a set of fans to get excited about. But, when that player is Mario Balotelli, it’s certainly worth paying attention to.
The mercurial 25-year-old has struggled with injuries and a lack of game time since returning to Milan last summer, but recently he has shown signs of improvement. He made just his fourth start of the league campaign against Juventus at the weekend and impressed.
After the match, Mihajlovic told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia), “Mario had a rough start, but then he gained confidence and did well. (He) and Carlos Bacca did great dirty work.”
Balotelli pulled two excellent saves out of Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and was diligent in his defensive duties. If he can continue to play with such work ethic and creativity, Milan may—at least temporarily—have found a crucial source of goals.
