- At the start of the season Napoli shows character
- Zelinski can become a new star of the championship
- Milan failed in midfield
- Higuain has not yet entered the team game
- Milan has a weak bench
The main difference is in the absence of Jorginho and Mertens in the start. Jorginho made an average of 108 assists per game, Hamshik in the same position makes 100, but has never played 90 minutes, and his passes have not yet carried the acuity that they should. The team was left without a point guard, and so far it compensates with joint efforts - for example, 90% of the programs Calidou Coulibaly gave up ahead in the area of the central circle.
Mertens switch to Milik is a revolution for the attack group. The Belgian allowed the entire trinity to change places regularly, retreated into the depth and helped to organize attacks with a small Paz. Milik acts exclusively around the penalty area and made 20 programs with Milan - for such statistics, Sarry would send to a deep reserve. But Ancelotti needs a more typical center of attack than Mertens, and the coach is already comparing Milik with Andrey Shevchenko. Although the Pole and the Ukrainian have in common, even in the manner of the game, at first glance, the minimum.
At the start of the season Napoli shows character
Sarry led Napoli in 2015 and in the first two matches of the championship - against Sassuolo and Sampdoria - the Azzurri scored one point. It can be assumed that Rafa Benitez left Maurizio a team with problems, and in part this will be true. Ancelotti was in a better position compared to his predecessor, but he was skeptical about Carlo.
Yesterday, San Paolo applauded the coach - for two matches, Ancelotti put the audience to himself. In the last championship, Napoli missed 13 times first and won nine times - no one in Serie A scored more points (28), yielding during the match. But the gap in two goals Azzurri did not play for seven years. As an exhibition performance, Ancelotti chose a match against his former footballer and one of his best friends.
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When Milan led 2-0, it was not Carlo who spuned, but Gattuso himself, who did not seem to expect such a development of events. Playing a whole time with Napoli on hold is a suicidal venture, but it is even more dangerous to try to attack. Especially considering how the Rossoneri scored: two shots on goal - two goals. Napoli did a lot, but problems arose in the final stages of attacks. Ancelotti reacted with the release of Mertens and the change of the scheme - from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1. Surry had never allowed himself such a thing, and that was the problem — his Napoli was not diverse.
After the first goal Zelinski and the emergence of Mertens Milan did not make a single blow to the target. Napoli did not control the situation, skipping twice, but became the master of the situation, conceding 0: 2. Ancelotti caught the moment when the opponent reached the critical point. “We have disappeared from the field,” admitted Gattuso.
In the first round, Chiro Immobile Napoli answered with two. With Milan won, losing two goals. Two matches with top opponents - two spectacular victories. Ancelotti couldn't start better.
Zelinski can become a new star of the championship
Before the game in the press, information appeared that Napoli had agreed with Petr Zelinski on the extension of the contract. The midfielder's salary was raised from 1.1 million euros to 2.5 million, and clausulus - from 65 million to 100 million. No matter how bad they were.
The record performance of the Pole in Serie A - five goals. So much he scored for Empoli in the championship 2015/16 and in the next season, his debut for Napoli. The first double in Italy allows Zelinski to count on improving statistics, and Carlo Ancelotti - that the replacement for Hamshik, transferred to a new position, is ready. “In the summer, I kept telling him — hit more often from afar,” says Carletto. The second goal to Milan Peter scored just from outside the penalty area.
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Accurate blows Zelinski not limited. The accuracy of his passes was 93%, they successfully beat the game three times (more than only Allan - four) and was first in the selection 11 times. The three main sports newspapers put Peter on 7.5, although it was possible to be generous with 8 - if not for his goals, Napoli would not have talked about any character now.
This summer, European grandees staged a hunt for Sergei Milinkovich-Savic, but in the long run the demand for Zelinski may be the same - with Anchelotti, the Pole has a chance to make a huge leap in development.
Milan failed in midfield
Milan was one of the contenders for Milinkovic-Savic and to the last one negotiated with Lazio. But Claudio Lotito refused Rossoneri, and there was no backup plan. As a result, midfield is the most problematic line of the Gennaro Gattuso team.
Lukas Bilya left a depressing impression at the World Championships, and the match with Napoli showed that it was not only the Argentina national team. The footballer who has to organize the game of the team in the center of the field, gave out two magnificent longball in assisting attacks, but too often lost the ball - the Azzurri players forgave Bilia for his trimming in the first half, but Zelinski punished after the break. Gattuso could not resist and replaced Lukas. With the release of Tiemue Bakayoko, everything became even worse.
Kessier and Bakayoko - physics and muscles, but zero creativity. Giacomo Bonaventura - the only one from the middle line, who never lost the ball and sharpened the game, making three key passes. But when the ball came to someone from his partners in the middle line, in most moments it led the team to a standstill.
Higuain has not yet entered the team game
The absence of the disqualified Hakan Chalkhanoglu did not allow to see the attack of Milan in its optimal form, but Fabio Borini played useful - in his account Assistant Bonaventure. Another thing is that in the situation with this goal, the key role was played by the effect of surprise and the decision of Giacomo to break through, and not the discount of Fabio.
The right flank was much more active - Suso created the moment for Bonaventure's goal, making a good translation to the left, and assisted David Calabria. But the main addressee of the transmission of the Spaniard was still to become Gonzalo Higuain. In the first official match of the Argentine for Milan this did not happen.
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Most often, the ball Higuain received in the area of the central circle in their half of the field, when Milan bred from the center after conceding goals. Experts expected that in the new team Gonzalo would be used as they were in Napoli - to target the entire game in attack. So far, there has been a weak resemblance to what Higuain did in Juventus. The Argentine moved a lot, retreated into depth, looked for free zones, but did not get the ball in them. The attacker made two shots on goal - both inaccurate.
“We failed to deliver the ball to Higuain in the immediate vicinity of the goal. But he helped break up attacks. Gonzalo is a key player for us, he improves the quality of the team and can be very useful. But, of course, we need to help him, ”said Gattuso.
Milan has a weak bench
Ancelotti released Dries Mertens, and the Belgian scored the winning goal. The successor to Zelinski, Amadou Diawara, also participated in the scoring attack. Two of Milan’s replacement players were debutants and players from the wrong positions that could play a key role in the attack. Patrick Cutrone appeared too late and frantically entered into the panic scheme 4-2-4 - Gattuso was desperately trying to avoid defeat.
The return of Chalhanoglu will improve the situation, but not too much. Milan has a deep bench, but its quality raises many questions. It may pleasantly surprise the fans of Samu Castillejo, but for now this is only hope. Riccardo Montolivo, José Mauri, Andrea Bertolacci, Alan Halilovic, Stefan Simic - a set of football players for Genoa, and not for a candidate for a place in the Champions League.
Milan had a good transfer campaign. Reina is a reliable understudy for Donnarumma, Iguan must provide goals, and Mattia Caldara is unlikely to play worse than Leonardo Bonucci last season. But this is not enough. The Rossoneri needed a top midfielder, and indeed the middle line requested a major upgrade. Leonardo ignored this request - the consequences can upset him.
