Gianluca Lapadula's Goal Beats Palermo and Gives AC Milan Competition Up Front

There has been an underlying feeling of angst throughout AC Milan’s recent revival, a notion that the team’s run of good form under new coach Vincenzo Montella was nothing more than a temporary resurgence. This feeling existed largely because of the depth of the squad, or lack thereof.

While the likes of reigning champions Juventus and last season’s Serie A runners-up Napoli can replace quality with quality, removing one layer of Milan’s playing personnel reveals a comparative shortfall that seems certain to harm them down the line.

Prior to the latest round of fixtures, this worry had been particularly pertinent regarding the striking department.

Last term, the Rossoneri relied heavily on Carlos Bacca for goals. And the same has been true, to an extent, in this campaign. The closest player to the Colombian’s six-goal tally is M’Baye Niang, who thus far has three to his name and operates predominantly on the left wing within the team’s 4-3-3 system.

But, while issues in other areas may ultimately halt a concerted Scudetto push, lack of depth up front may no longer be a concern thanks to Gianluca Lapadula. In Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 win over Palermo at the Stadio Renzo Barbera, he scored his maiden goal in Milan colours. It could be the first of many.

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Bacca's struggles

Milan started the game strongly, looking to assert themselves defensively by applying man-oriented pressure around the halfway line and preventing the home side from progressing their play through the middle third. This proved effective, and Palermo struggled to advance into dangerous areas for much of the opening quarter of an hour.

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In that time, Giacomo Bonaventura—playing on the left wing in the absence of Niang—struck wide. After a wonderful take and step-over left his marker behind, he proceeded to screw his finish beyond the right post of Josip Posavec’s goal.

Then, on 15 minutes, Suso struck to give Milan the lead.

A cross from the left was spilled by Posavec and found its way to the Spanish winger’s feet. Without dallying, the 22-year-old drove home a low, hard shot to open the scoring.

Montella’s men continued to dominate the game with Mario Pasalic and Bacca testing Palermo’s defensive line. Indeed, it wasn’t until the 24-minute mark, when Thiago Cionek headed wide from a corner, that the Sicilian outfit had a genuine scoring opportunity of their own.

Yet, for all Milan’s dominance, they failed to increase their lead.

Their scoring chances weren’t helped by Bacca’s inability to involve himself in the final third, something discussed in this recent post. While the 30-year-old worked hard without the ball to close down Palermo during their early buildup, he was unable to exert any real influence on his team’s attacking game.

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And, when considering that half of his six goals this season came in the opening game against Torino, and the fact he has scored just once in his last seven appearances, there is serious evidence of a need for alternatives up front.

Milan’s profligacy almost cost them dearly as, on 71 minutes, Palermo equalised with a well-worked move that was lashed home by Ilija Nestorovski.

Immediately the Rossoneri hit back with Suso bringing good saves out of Posavec from a free-kick and a venomous strike from outside the penalty box. Eventually, the winger would help to seal the win, though he needed some assistance from a substitute.

On 79 minutes, Bacca was replaced by Lapadula. Three minutes later, a lashed drive from Suso was deflected in by the 26-year-old striker. It was a finish of exceptional ingenuity.

Recognising that the initial shot was angling wide, Lapadula diverted the ball beyond Posavec and into the net with a deft backheeled flick with his first touch. This subtle finish guided Milan to a fifth win in six matches while also ensuring the player finally broke his duck with the club in his sixth appearance.

Making an impression

Upon the ball hitting the net, there was an outpouring of relief as the striker realised what he had just done. Running to the corner flag, he was joined by delirious team-mates rushing to congratulate him on a very important piece of personal history.

It had been coming.

Lapadula may have failed to score up until his brief outing against Palermo, but he had offered enough to suggest he possessed elements of the all-round striker Milan have so badly needed in recent times.

Limited to just two starts—one of which came following a row between Montella and Bacca, one when the latter was rested after an international break—the former Pescara hitman nonetheless used his brief chances in the spotlight to show good movement out of possession, strength and sound control in holding the ball up, a willingness to defend doggedly from the front, and the ability to drop deep and knit attacks together.

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All of this impressed Montella, who singled the player out for praise following Lapadula’s second start in the win over Chievo.

“Lapadula played with great temperament and hunger,” the coach told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). “In the first half the team didn’t give him much support, while he gave his all and was exhausted by the end. He really helped his team-mates and I am very happy with him.”

And Montella’s words were backed up by statistics. Per Squawka.com, Lapadula had the same shot accuracy as Bacca while completing more passes, creating more chances and making more tackles. The goals weren’t coming, but his all-round play couldn’t be faulted.

Turning point

When taking into account Bacca’s poor recent form and frequent disconnection from games, Lapadula’s match-winning goal against Palermo could be seen as a crucial turning point in the season for both individual and team.

The player’s backheel acted as validation that he is more than a specialist brought in to chase and harry when Milan need to defend; that he is also an attacking threat of substantial improvisational flair and composure. At the same time, the finish confirmed that Montella no longer needs to rely on one man for goals in future, something he appeared to acknowledge in his post-match comments.

Montella told reporters after the match:

"

I am particularly happy with his [Lapadula’s] goal. When a coach has the chance to make decisions, it is a great thing.

Lapadula started a little behind compared to the others, but he has now started some matches.

With work, he can climb the pecking order. I repeat, I am happy with his goal, because he has a fighting spirit and I know how hard he is working for the few minutes he has played up until now.

"

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As for Lapadula, while his debut strike for Milan was the realisation of his ambition to score in Serie A having been let go by Juventus as a teenager, he isn’t getting carried away.

“My first Serie A goal is a dream come true,” he told reporters. “But I am 26 already, which means that there is plenty of work still to be done. We want to be more consistent and bring Milan back to Europe, (and) I hope I can play an important role.”

Sitting pretty in third, Milan remain in Serie A’s Champions League qualification places with their weekend win over Palermo. And, while this position belies a thin squad, their attacking options are looking brighter. Lapadula is off the mark, and Montella, finally, has an alternative up front.