ROME: AC Milan stumbled out of the blocks in Serie A with a shock home defeat to promoted Cremonese, and attention now shifts to Friday’s clash at Lecce, where Massimiliano Allegri’s men will be under pressure to set things right.
Against Cremonese it was the fine margins that deserted Milan in a 2-1 loss. Both defense and attack faltered, and the supposed strength of their midfield offered little protection, allowing Cremonese to find space with worrying ease once they broke through the middle.
“Considering the goals we conceded, clearly the defensive phase is where we need to improve. We don’t sense danger effectively,” Allegri admitted.
However, the veteran coach dismissed suggestions that the club needed a last-minute spending spree.
“I don’t think it was an issue of a player missing or not. When you play in Serie A, you meet tough opponents like Cremonese who fully deserved the victory by playing a smart defensive match and we made two errors.”
With only winger Rafael Leao sidelined by a calf injury, Allegri has another chance to find the right balance, but a defeat at Lecce could see Milan’s disappointing start turn into a worrying one for a club with lofty ambitions.
NAPOLI STRIKER WANTED
Antonio Conte’s Napoli started the season with a straightforward 2-0 win at Sassuolo but the reigning champions had to rely on key midfielders Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne to score the goals with striker Romelu Lukaku injured.
Against Cagliari at home on Saturday, a side that have lost to Napoli in their last two meetings without scoring, Lorenzo Lucca is likely to be the lone front man again.
With the transfer window closing, several months with a weakened frontline could prove costly for Napoli.
Last season’s runners-up Inter Milan on the other hand fired a warning shot to their potential title rivals with a 5-0 victory at home against Torino that showed they have plenty of offensive firepower.
The visitors’ defending left plenty to be desired, but Inter’s relentless aggression allowed no margin for error, punishing lapses twice and keeping the pressure on throughout the match.
At home against Udinese on Sunday, coach Cristian Chivu has a full squad to select from as Inter look to build on the potential they showed on the opening weekend.
JUVE WITHOUT CAMBIASO
Igor Tudor’s Juventus showed plenty of resilience in their opener against Parma, keeping up the pressure until the end, even after being reduced to 10 men before winning 2-0, extending their lead with a late Dusan Vlahovic goal.
Juventus travel to Genoa on Sunday and they will be without fullback Andrea Cambiaso following his late sending-off against Parma. Tudor now faces a selection dilemma over how to cover the left flank.
Veteran Filip Kostic seems the most straightforward replacement, while the versatile Weston McKennie could also be pushed into the role.
Pisa will host Gian Piero Gasperini’s AS Roma on Saturday in what will be their first home Serie A clash in over 34 years, while Cesc Fabregas’ Como, who beat Lazio 2-0 on the opening weekend, will travel Bologna on the same day.
