Chapter 178: Against AC Milan

Chapter 178: Against AC Milan

At 3 PM on November 30th, at San Siro Stadium in Italy, Udinese took the offensive from the start, pressing aggressively in the midfield particularly around AC Milan's Michael Essien, causing him considerable trouble. AC Milan seemed unprepared for Udinese's assertiveness and the concentrated attack on Essien, forcing teammates like Marco van Ginkel and Giacomo Bonaventura to assist defensively. This left AC Milan's midfield passive and unable to support their forwards.

AC Milan's coach, Filippo Inzaghi, was initially surprised by Udinese's aggressive play as he expected a more conservative approach from them at San Siro. However, seeing his team under pressure, Inzaghi was confident that after withstanding the initial onslaught, AC Milan would teach Udinese a lesson. Yet as the game progressed, Inzaghi was shocked to find his team struggling to cope with Udinese's continuous pressure.

Essien, playing as a lone defensive midfielder, was particularly targeted, making AC Milan's midfield very reactive. When Essien passed the ball to Bonaventura under pressure from Udinese's Alan, Rodrigo de Paul intercepted it, quickly passing it back to Alan who then made a penetrating pass leading to a fast-paced attack and a goal by Antonio Di Natale, putting Udinese up 1-0. Di Natale's goal marked his tenth of the season, nearly averaging a goal per game.

Inzaghi acknowledged the beauty of Udinese's play—from Alan's pressing to de Paul's interception and the swift counterattack, AC Milan's defense was overwhelmed. Recognizing his team's defensive vulnerability started from Essien's struggle, Inzaghi noted the significant pressure on Essien and considered him a critical point of attack by Udinese. Despite this, Inzaghi was determined to focus on offensive play rather than bolstering the defense.

The situation worsened for AC Milan when Udinese scored their second goal in the 31st minute. Alan's long pass found de Paul, who feinted a shot then passed, leading to Di Natale holding off a defender and half-volleying a shot that Diego Lopez partially blocked. However, Bruno Fernandes was quick to follow up with a shot that confirmed Udinese's second goal, making it 2-0.

AC Milan's forwards, including Stephan El Shaarawy, Keisuke Honda, and Jérémy Ménez, appeared ineffective, often isolated due to the lack of midfield support. This forced them to drop back frequently to gain possession, which was largely ineffective against Udinese's solid and aggressive defense.

By the end of the first half, the score was 2-0 in favor of Udinese, reflecting their dominance with eight shots on goal to AC Milan's three. This unexpected scenario left the journalists and commentators shocked, highlighting Essien as a tactical focal point for Udinese and criticizing Inzaghi for not adjusting his tactics during the first half.

During the halftime break, Udinese's coach, Guido Marin, praised his team but reminded them that a football match lasts 90 minutes and the 2-0 lead was not definitive. Expecting Inzaghi to make adjustments, Marin anticipated potential substitutions that might involve replacing Essien with Riccardo Montolivo to solidify the midfield. Marin instructed his team to focus on defending against Montolivo, seeing him as pivotal to AC Milan's playmaking.

As expected, Inzaghi brought on Montolivo early in the second half, and his impact was immediate. In the 51st minute, Montolivo delivered a precise pass that led to El Shaarawy setting up Ménez for a spectacular goal, narrowing the score to 2-1. Despite this, Marin was prepared and instructed his team to adopt a counter-attacking approach to safeguard their lead, emphasizing the importance of stability and the psychological advantage of their existing lead.