AC Milan – Cagliari: An Embarrassing Indictment Of The Allegri Approach (1-2)

A win was all that was needed for AC Milan to put a turbulent few months behind them. Instead, Cagliari showcased the limitations, structural flaws and shortcomings of the Allegri approach, which saw Milan tumble out of the top four in the last half-hour of the season.

Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.

To be tagged as the ‘crisis club’ is a scenario that no one wants to be in, especially in the run-in.

Fortunately for Massimiliano Allegri, a crucial victory on the Ligurian coast had cooled down the situation. Genoa had creative player rotations, with no penetration through the lines, as Milan capitalized in the second half, a 2-1 victory that placed them two points ahead of Juventus and Como in the Europa League positions. This came off the back of protests towards CEO Giorgio Furlani, the jersey of Paolo Maldini proudly displayed as fans order his return to the Milan hierarchy. Whilst on the pitch, an injury to Luka Modrić destabilized the playing potential of a structure that had relied on his abilities from deep.

However, a win against Cagliari would seal a return to Champions League football. Last weekend, three points secured their survival in Serie A and took them well away from the dogfight between Lecce and Cremonese on the final day. After a difficult start, strong spells in the winter and mid-April onwards have kept the Sardinians in the league for the third consecutive season. A good accomplishment for rookie coach Fabio Pisacane, who was promoted from the youth system last summer, after Cagliari’s accomplishments in the Coppa Italia Primavera.

For Allegri . . .