Former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi was scathing in his assessment of their 1-0 Derby della Madonnina loss: “Inter did not play against an opponent, but against a sparring partner.” The match was dominated by the Nerazzurri who ended the first half a goal ahead while Milan had failed to register a single shot on goal. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi didn’t hold back in his criticism of the team and coach Stefano Pioli, singling out his decision to switch to a five-man back line:
“Milan are no longer a team, especially the one in the first half. Inter didn’t play against an opponent, but against a sparring partner.”
An embarrassing performance, that of the Rossoneri.
“Milan only ran after their opponents and were second to everything. Never a hint of pressing, never an advance, always bland marking”.
What happened?
“Switching to a five-man defence created confusion and cancelled out the last few years of work. This is my idea. Any idea of play has also been cancelled out. How many shots on goal did Milan make in the first half? Zero. It was a monologue of Inter, who did not struggle much and ended the first half dominating the field.
The Nerazzurri proved to be superior in technical as well as physical terms.
“Simone Inzaghi’s players are almost all of a high level and they all have great experience. It’s clear that if you focus on one-on-one you are beaten from the start. Against Inter you can win if you play as a team, something Milan have never done. In the second half then the Nerazzurri managed the situation, as they often do: they are not a team that kills games and opponents, they usually let them breathe and so they risk something. However, Inter are really well and this result gives them enthusiasm and self-esteem also in terms of the Champions League.”
All Pioli’s fault?
“Pioli has done a great job, this should never be forgotten. But in the derby, we have to be honest, with his choices he cancelled all that work. In my opinion it’s a mistake to change ideas and system of play. It’s true that Hernandez and Giroud are squeezed like lemons, after their World Cup adventure, but that doesn’t mean you have to change the formation.”
Perhaps he wanted to cover himself more?
“Agreed, but it can also be done in another way. Instead of playing with two midfielders, put three. Strikers like Giroud and Leao don’t fit in? Help them with an extra man in the middle. But deploying a five-man rearguard means losing certainties. Milan seemed frightened, even terrified. Do you know what the real problem is?”
Say.
“The coach must be the first to be convinced of his own ideas and he has the duty to transmit them to the players. If he changes form it’s like saying: I was wrong. That’s not good enough. The job of a coach is to convince his boys, he has to get inside their heads and hammer them until they do what he wants. Do you know what Ancelotti said about the AC Milan I coached? That I was so convinced of my ideas that I managed to convince even them, the players, who were a bit sceptical at the beginning’.
Back to Inter. Who did you like the most?
“Lautaro gave a great performance. The goal was very nice. He makes a perfect movement, drops back to get out of the way of his marker and hits a header. Barella was also good, he rarely plays badly. But, I repeat, Inter played on velvet because Milan allowed them everything.”
