Only team in the history of the Champions League semi-finals has ever turned around when losing two or more goals in the first leg: Liverpool in 2019.
Although the 2-0 defeat was slightly better than the Reds, not many people think Milan can do the same thing this time. After all, unlike Liverpool, they are often a luxurious backdrop in the Champions League comeback. And the gap shown in the first round scene, it is estimated that Guo Jia's reincarnation will not be able to squeeze out ten wins and ten defeats.
At least that's all I can think of – Leo's comeback, and it's a starter.
Of course, Leo was not alone in making changes in Milan's starting line-up in this game. Due to Bennasser's serious injury for half a year, Dias reappeared in the forward position, and Messias was used on the right winger. In addition, the central defender replaced Kjaar, who not only failed to command Tomori in the first leg, but also accompanied him in chaos, presumably to make up for the air defense bullied by Dzeko and Lukaku.
At the same time, there has been a clear change in the strategy of the game. Already two goals behind, Pioli naturally can no longer use the front back to scare the opponent's organizational core of the good play, whether it is Tonali's large-scale running, or Diaz's dribbling after taking the ball, the focus is only on one "forward".
How effective is it?
Ambrosini summed up the reason for the loss this way in the last game: "One is to give Inter a strong and impactful start, and the other is that I have never seen Milan with so little contact. ”
This one improved at least the first half. Milan were directly full of physical confrontation in the opening period, Tonali rushed closer than the forward line, and he had Te'o behind him and Leo in front, and the pressure of this left half made Inter dare not easily press forward as a whole.
Although it didn't score a goal, it did give the fans some hope. Tonali made a desperate steal in front and forced a breakthrough, and finally Dias gave Onana an inverted triangle putt, which was Milan's best chance during this time. Of course, even if the goal is scored, it may have to be cancelled by the VAR retroactive foul.
As for the latter half of what Ambrosini said... It can't be said to be exactly the same, only that there has been no progress.
In the first leg, many people expressed their puzzlement that Milan's frontcourt players were too scattered and relied on individual singles, and they were all ready to watch Leo's various singles in the second leg. Unexpectedly, Leo, who came back in the line of fire, was neither excited nor in shape, and basically took the ball with his back on the left side, and then cut inward in the opposite half of the field, and finally passed back to his teammates.
The 30-plus minute overturn of Darmian and a small angle shot into the box was almost the only characteristic display of Leo's game, and he didn't get anything cheap from Dumfries at other times.
And the singles became Dias.
Introduce the Real Madrid expatriate to fans who are not familiar with Serie A. His strengths are that he is ready to find the right position to catch the ball, has good stopping skills and flexible connections, and can quickly turn around and go into attack. The disadvantage is that the ball does not look up, and the pass has no vision. Playing on the right is considered an offensive starting point, and playing in the middle also occupies the core ball...
As a result, it is clear that Milan's set of 4231 theoretically has a lot of troops in the front, but the two wingers cling to the sideline called "opening up the width of the attack", center Olivier Giroud can't get the ball at all and can only fight with the defender card position, Tonali no ball forward insertion, Krunic behind the squat pit, trying to plug straight forward into the back line.
If you can't pass it, then wait to be counterattacked by Inter. After passing it on, then watch the play from all directions, first to see Dias with the belt, and then to see him being cut off.
Since you play like this, Inter are too comfortable. With two goals in hand, you can safely retire the number of people, Archerby can entangle Giroud, Dumfries is not afraid of Leo, and Dias's small model is digging into the pile, purely helping Çalhanoğlu and Mkhitaryan brush up on defensive statistics.
Not to mention that this Inter itself is best at catching the conversion attack, the first three people Dzeko, Lautaro and Barrera are very active, especially Lautaro's stop-turn fluency, Argentine fans will say that the World Cup is not a fake.
If there is any disadvantage in Inter's first half, it may be that the wind of the penalty is not suitable for their style of play. The French referee Tilpin was on a delicate scale, saying that he loosened the whistle and played intermittently, and saying that he was strict in the first half was like forgetting his yellow card in the lounge.
If you don't give a yellow card for even a deliberate foul to spoil the counter-attacking opportunity, you can imagine how difficult it can be for a team that focuses on conversion efficiency. Despite this, Inter's counter-attack remained threatening, with Barrera's unguarded push in the box and Dzeko's header from a free-kick holding on to the suspense of the promotion.
At half-time, I wondered what else Milan could do to turn things around, whether it was to strengthen the cooperation up front, give the ball more to Leo, or make a direct substitution? But once again, I never expected that the change I saw at the beginning of the second half was to let Messias single.
……
What is this concept? My brain made up a picture like this: Coach Anxi called the whole Xiangbei team in front of him, and there were only four big words on the tactical board: "Pull open singles". Kaede Rukawa just stood up and was pressed down again, and then said that it was not you who was in charge of the singles, it was Ryota Miyagi and Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Really, if I were to directly choose to let you two shoot three points directly from the opposite coach, I would admit it when I was killed.
If Dias was playing in the middle with a wide kick in the first half, Messias in the second half was simply playing the Champions League semifinals with Serie B. The cooperation with teammates can not step on the point, and he can fly directly out of the bottom line with a cross from his own pocket.
His experience gives strength, but trying to break the Inter defence with one point on his own point will only bring despair.
However, it was Inter who made the first adjustments. The first non-injury substitution in this game was again Romelu Lukaku's usual move to replace Dzeko Inzaghi Jr. Dzeko, who is more and more like a Montenegrin demon, is responsible for consumption, and his Lukaku is responsible for harvesting as soon as it is high and fast.
As soon as he came on the pitch, Romelu Lukaku gave Milan's full-backs a familiar wing-forward shock. When he and Lautaro are closely linked again, we see a more familiar plot: the ball is at the feet of Lautaro, and the attention of all the defenders is focused on Lautaro; Pass to Lukaku, all go to defend Lukaku; Passed back to Lautaro, and only Menion was left in front of him.
Tarot and Kaku, Milan is really unstoppable.
With the aggregate score at 3-0, the chances of Milan wanting to turn around are slim. Replacing Sa56 and Origi are both a drop in the bucket, and finally play some similar crosses to find Giroud, Tonali obliquely into the box, and there is no way to help.
The team does not have the spirit to fight for the dead, because the four derby performances this season have long been unable to support the rhetoric that "if you give up now, the game will be over".
With Inzaghi Jr. once again using Correa + Gagliardini's "insulting substitution", Inter players tried their luck and the game ended quietly.
Although there was a lot of complaints earlier, I also didn't want to throw all the pots at Pioli. After all, the difference in strength between the two squads is there, and the fact that there were 10 fewer shots on goal with 12% more possession in this game is enough to explain something. Last year's league title was a huge surprise, but this season hasn't been able to do much better from signings to tactical patches.
And by next month's final, whether against Manchester City or Real Madrid, Inter will definitely be back to the squad disadvantage. It was even said before the semi-finals that there are three finals to see in the Champions League this season, one nominal final and two real finals. From purely rational considerations, I might agree with this statement. But football has never been a purely rational thing, let alone a final that is a decisive final.
Yes, Inter's ability to reach the final this season is somewhat stained with luck, but don't forget that the knockout round is basically bloodless, and the fitness, fitness and morale are at the highest. Yes, this team has no stars in the eyes of many people, only the Wolong Phoenix in the Duan world, but in the eyes of himself and those who love him, everyone is the master of fate.
After 13 years, Inter returned to the Champions League final. The final is not yet played, so don't say who wins or loses.