Leão makes impact, as Fonseca sifts through controversy in search of first Milan win
Paulo Fonseca is not enjoying the smoothest start to life as AC Milan manager, with the Portuguese having to deal with irritating side issues after a winless first three match.
The Rossoneri have drawn two and lost one of their opening matches, leaving them in the bottom third of the Serie A standings heading into the international break. Rafael Leão salvaged a point in a 2-2 draw at Lazio on Saturday, but the Seleção man was also part of a unnecessary side drama picked up by the Italian media.
Milan were beaten 2-1 by Parma last week, which following a 2-2 draw with Torino at San Siro on Matchday 1 represented a poor start to the campaign. Fonseca’s side looked to be headed for another setback in the capital when they found themselves 2-1 down with twenty minutes remaining, but Leao made the difference from the bench.
Leão and star left-back Theo Hernandez had both found themselves on the bench, having been widely criticised for their performances in the defeat to Parma. Fonseca threw the duo on in the 70th minute along with striker Tammy Abraham, and moments later the introductions combined to produce a classy equaliser finished by Leão.
Rafael Leão responded to being dropped by Fonseca in the perfect way, scoring a brilliant equaliser to earn Milan a point at Lazio
— Sean Gillen (@SeanGillen9) September 1, 2024
pic.twitter.com/5FF7bVntSx
After the match, Fonseca was critical of his side, who had given up a first-half lead given to them by Starhinja Pavlovic. Shortly after the hour, Lazio scored twice in two minutes through Valentin Castellanos and Boulaye Dia, with both goals provided by Nuno Tavares in his first senior start for any club since February.
“I thought we had a good first half because we controlled the ball,” said Fonseca. “The second half was totally different. We allowed Lazio to play because we stopped trying to play ourselves. What we did in the second half was totally different. We always lost the ball down the left, that was the trend.
“When a team no longer presses high and does not have the courage to keep playing, we don’t create those spaces. I realise this is not a positive moment and in the minds of the players they want to avoid conceding goals, but defending does not make us more comfortable. We have to control the match.
“Am I missing another midfield player? I am not missing a player in midfield. I am missing any play from the midfield. We stopped playing in the second half. We tried to build out from the back with Pavlovic and lost it 90 per cent of the time because there was no connection with the midfielders.
“Look, I realise the players feel that by defending they are being safe, but they are doing the opposite. It is not about a lack of character or responsibility, it is the intention of the team, which was not to play with the midfielders. It was a totally different match in the second half, not what we had planned.”
Leão and Theo controversy played down
Fonseca also had to field questions on a story involving star duo Leão and Hernandez, who had been dropped for the fixture. Shortly after their introduction, the pair opted to remain on the left side of the field rather than attend the cooling break and group discussion held by Fonseca on the other side of the pitch.
Hernandez dismissed the suggestion he and Leão were being problematic, telling reporters: “We’d been on for two minutes; we didn’t need the cooling break. It’s nothing against the team or the coach. People talk; they say a lot of untrue things. Rafa and I are always with the team and ready to help. That’s the most important thing.”
However, former Milan Massimo Ambrosini was unimpressed by the visuals, telling DAZN: “The discomfort was evident and emerged quite strongly. It was unpleasant to see, although they had just entered the pitch, so they didn’t need to drink.
“Tammy Abraham had been introduced from the bench with them. He and Yunus Musah were with their teammates to talk to and motivate them. They weren’t there.
“This discomfort goes beyond a simple exclusion from the starting XI. I know that it’s not nice to talk without knowing what happened or making any hint. But what we saw is not nice to see or justify for a club of Milan’s value.”
As expected, Fonseca pushed back on the suggestion when asked to clarify if the players would be punished. “There is no problem,” Fonseca said. “I think Theo already explained to the media after the game. We must not try to create problems, because this week I spoke to the players, explained my decisions, they accepted it and were always with the team. I was honestly not even looking at them being there, I concentrated on other things.
“They had only come on two minutes earlier, so did not need a cooling break. It’s not a problem, they gave a good reaction when coming on. I do not hide behind excuses, when we have a problem, I am the first to admit it, but the truth is there is nothing.”
Meanwhile, Lazio boss Marco Baroni praises Nuno Tavares after his double-assist, which came on his first appearance for the club. Tavares has already featured for a number of teams since leaving Benfica in 2021, including Arsenal, Marseille and Nottingham Forest. The left-back was named Man of the Match for his efforts.
Il primo gol biancoceleste di Boulaye Dia ????⚪️????#LazioMilan pic.twitter.com/A8MH7RYcuR
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) September 1, 2024
“I think Nuno Tavares had not started a match since February, so that was a risk too, but he has quality and we want to get him into the best physical shape.
“We’ve put in a lot of crosses from the right so far this season, so we needed someone like Nuno Tavares to push down the left too. Luca Pellegrini can play that role too and we’ll improve as the campaign goes on.”
By @SeanGillen9