Four Milan regrets after Coppa Italia elimination

Milan have been eliminated from the Coppa Italia Round of 16, and Italian media look at four regrets the Rossoneri have after a 1-0 loss against Lazio.

Milan lost their second game this season on Thursday, suffering a 1-0 loss away at Lazio that eliminated them from the Coppa Italia Round of 16.

The Biancocelesti captain Mattia Zaccagni scored the winner with a header at minute 80 allowing Maurizio Sarri’s men to progress to the quarter-finals, where they’ll meet defending champions Bologna.

La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Milan expert Luca Bianchin examined Milan’s defeat in the capital and highlighted four regrets for the Rossoneri.

First of all, Allegri’s men didn’t show the grit and determination they usually have in Serie A: “Milan played for 80 minutes with the speed limiter on, without any fire in the eyes,” the journalist wrote.

“The spirit changed only when Lazio scored, and in the final minutes, Milan pushed into the other half, throwing a bit of chaos into the blender of the match. Had they done it earlier, had they taken more risks, perhaps something might have happened.”

Secondly, strikers failed to deliver: “Leao was barely noticeable, wandered around aimlessly and badly miscued the best ball of the patch, delivered by Jashari via Estupinan. Nkunku, on the other hand, was almost invisible for half an hour. He never took a shot and made four passes. Only touched the ball six times. A ghost dressed in yellow.”

Thirdly, Milan “switched off in the decisive moment, first by conceding a corner, then by losing track of Zaccagni on a simple movement inside the box.”

Last but not least, the most “unexpected” regret: “Below-par performances of some regular starters. Saelemaekers was sloppy, didn’t trouble Lazio and was subbed off early. It happens, especially in a season where he has otherwise provided great quality and consistency. Rabiot delivered a good cross for Loftus-Cheek but was less effective than usual. Leao made no impact; only Maignan did something special.”

Milan are the Serie A table leaders, level on 28 points with Napoli. The Rossoneri will visit Torino in the next league game on Monday, December 8.