Liverpool's loss left Milan's coach, Fonseca, asserting that his team experienced a collapse in psychological stability.
Milan Suffer 3-1 Defeat to Liverpool in Champions League Opener
AC Milan's Champions League campaign got off to a disappointing start as they lost 3-1 to Liverpool at the San Siro. In a post-match analysis, Milan's head coach, Paulo Fonseca, highlighted issues with mental balance, defensive organization, and the need for improvement in Rafael Leao's performance.
Fonseca acknowledged Milan's defensive vulnerabilities, which Liverpool exploited, particularly on counter-attacks. The team's mental balance was affected during the match, contributing to lapses in concentration and defensive errors.
Regarding Leao, Fonseca noted the winger's importance but also his recent struggles. The coach emphasized that Milan depends on Leao's ability to perform at top levels, especially against high-caliber opponents like Liverpool and in critical fixtures such as Champions League ties.
Leao had shown moments of influence, including scoring and assisting in a recent Milan win against Liverpool in a friendly, but in competitive fixtures, consistency and sharper performances are expected. The service provided to Leao by Milan's midfielders was lacking, which did not help his cause.
Liverpool registered 23 shots on goal, with 11 of them being on target, compared to Milan's eight and two. The Reds' expected goals (xG) total was 3.09, while Milan's was 0.61. Liverpool's dominance was evident, and Fonseca admitted that they are currently more of a team than Milan.
Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk scored headers for Liverpool, both from set-pieces. Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the victory for Liverpool after the break. Trent Alexander-Arnold came out on top in their respective duels against Rafael Leao.
Christian Pulisic scored the earliest goal for Milan in the Champions League since Alexandre Pato's goal against Barcelona in 2011 (24 seconds). However, Milan's team stopped playing after conceding the second goal, and Fonseca expressed frustration with the loss of "mental balance" that contributed to the defeat.
Fonseca emphasized the need for Milan to play their football for 70, 80, or 90 minutes, not just 20 minutes. He reiterated the importance of being defensively perfect against Liverpool before the match but was left furious with his side's display after the match.
With the loss, Milan start their Champions League campaign on the back foot. They will need to regain mental composure, tighten defensive coordination, and get key players like Leao back to effective performances to compete successfully in Europe.
**References:**
- ESPN
- Goal
- Sky Sports
Despite Milan's recent victory against Liverpool in a friendly, their Champions League opener against the Reds ended in a 3-1 defeat, with Milan struggling in the European League. Working on improving Serie A's performance, specifically Rafael Leao, is crucial for Milan's success against top-tier opponents like Liverpool in Champions League fixtures.
