Liverpool defeat left Milan's mental stability shaken, according to Fonseca
AC Milan began their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Tuesday, and coach Paulo Fonseca attributed the defeat to a lack of "mental balance" within his squad.
Fonseca expressed his disappointment with the team's performance, particularly in maintaining psychological composure and focus during critical moments of the game. This mental fragility, he suggested, affected Milan's ability to stay resilient under pressure and perform at their best.
The game saw several key moments that highlighted Milan's defensive lapses, with Fonseca emphasizing the importance of defensive perfection given Liverpool's attacking strength. However, specific detailed events such as goals, tactical errors, or turning points were not provided.
The team faced additional challenges, including injuries to key defensive players like Ismaël Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi, which reduced their defensive options. These issues, combined with the squad's broader tactical and physical difficulties, hint at broader psychological and team cohesion problems that could translate into a lack of mental balance on the pitch.
Liverpool capitalized on these issues, with two goals from set-pieces changing the course of the game. Milan struggled to recover after conceding the second goal, with the team's confidence waning and their performance suffering as a result.
Rafael Leao, Milan's star forward, had a quiet evening against Liverpool. Despite completing more dribbles than any player during the match, Leao lost possession 15 times, the most in the Milan side. Trent Alexander-Arnold came out on top in their respective duels, further highlighting Milan's defensive struggles.
In contrast, Liverpool registered 23 shots on goal, with 11 of them on target, compared to Milan's eight and two. Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk scored the Liverpool goals from set-pieces, while Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the victory for the Reds after the break.
Christian Pulisic scored the earliest goal for Milan in the Champions League since Alexandre Pato's goal against Barcelona in 2011 (24 seconds), but it was not enough to secure a victory for the Italian side. Fonseca believes that the team needs to play their football for 70, 80, or 90 minutes, not just 20 minutes, to compete at the highest level.
As Milan looks ahead to their next Champions League match, Fonseca will need to address the team's mental fragility and defensive issues if they are to stand a chance against the top teams in the competition.
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