Milan Transfer Market: Rossoneri Overwhelmed by Chelsea; Concerns Mount in Defense
Milan suffered a crushing defeat in their friendly match in Indonesia against Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea. The Blues won decisively 3-0, thanks to a two-goal performance by Joao Pedro and a goal by Caicedo. With two weeks to go before the start of the league season, alarm bells are starting to ring at Milan, especially regarding Ruben Amorim’s defense, which appeared to be in serious trouble against the English side. Leao is also under scrutiny after a poor performance.
From the first half onward, Milan struggled to create scoring chances and consistently feed the ball to Camarda, while they struggled defensively and in midfield. In the 11th minute, Joao Pedro got past De Winter, but Torriani came to the rescue by blocking the Brazilian’s shot; in the 16th minute, Welbeck hit the post; and in the 27th minute, Torriani once again denied Pedro Neto. Amorim’s team, on the other hand, made little of an impact; Leao was off his game and Camarda was isolated, with plenty of inaccuracy from the wingers as well.
Toward the end of the half, Chelsea picked up the pace and Milan was forced to sit back: in the 42nd minute, Joao Pedro fired over the bar from close range; in stoppage time, the English side took the lead thanks to Joao Pedro, who caught the Milan defense off guard on a cross from Caicedo and put his team ahead.
Amorim tried to shake up the team and made eight substitutions at halftime, bringing on Ramos for Camarda up front. But the situation worsened: right off the bat, Chelsea went on a rampage, scoring their second goal—again by Joao Pedro—after just 30 seconds, and their third goal through Caicedo in the 50th minute. Milan’s defense needs a complete overhaul; Terracciano and Diawara were poor.
Milan tried to regain control, but Chelsea came close to scoring a fourth goal on several occasions, with former Cagliari player Palestra also coming close to scoring in the 63rd minute. Torriani made a great save on Palmer in the 71st minute, then got lucky in the 74th minute on a shot by Quenda. Alonso’s team dominated, with Jackson hitting the woodwork again in the 83rd minute: the Blues finished the match on the attack while Milan could do nothing but grit their teeth. That’s how it ended. After the match, fans erupted in protest on social media: they’re clamoring for reinforcements, especially in defense. It’s just August soccer, but many are already worried.
