In the crucial matchup of the Europa League quarter-finals, Roma sat at home to face strong rivals AC Milan. Shortly after the game, Manuel Pellegrini fired a powerful long-range shot at the post before Roberto Mancini followed up to break the deadlock. Lukaku's counter-attacking shot was blocked, but Dybala immediately showed his skill and curled a precise shot to cement Roma's lead. When Leao launched a counter-attack, Celik was sent off for a foul on his back, and tensions grew. In the second half, Rafael Leao assisted Gabia's header to pull one back for Milan. However, in the end, Roma relied on crucial goals from Dybala and Roberto Mancini to beat Milan 2-1 and advance to the Europa League semi-finals 3-1 on aggregate.
For AC Milan, who are determined to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League, this crucial matchup quickly lost its suspense in just 30 minutes, like a flame that suddenly went out, which is regrettable. In this head-to-head clash with Roma, AC Milan looked disorganized and uncohesive, both in terms of tactical planning and the individual players' form, in stark contrast to the solid quality of the Roma team. Roma's clear tactical execution and fluid teamwork highlighted the stark differences between the two sides in terms of tactical maturity and actual combat effectiveness.
Milan's high-pressure pressing strategy did not have the desired effect, but was repeatedly cracked by Roma to form a quick counter-attack. Christian Pulisic's performance on the right flank was lackluster, falling far short of expectations and failing to deliver as much as he should have been on the wing. Coach Stefano Pioli clearly wanted to try to tear Roma's defence apart by bringing on Moussa on the flank, but this expectation was a real threat in practice. Pioli made the controversial decision to replace Loftus-Cheek, the most dangerous man of the first half, in favour of a two-striker set-up, but the fact that he still adhered to the principle of penetrating the attack on the ground rather than using the numerical advantage to increase the depth and depth of the attack was a move that confused many observers, and was one of the main reasons why Milan were unable to turn the tide even with one more man on the pitch.
This harrowing defeat not only highlighted Coach Pioli's obvious shortcomings in tactical design and on-the-spot command, but also revealed the rigidity of his tactical system and the lack of innovation ability. Excluding the fact that Stefano Pioli may be able to secure a top-four finish for now, calls for a change of manager are already on the rise based on the problems exposed by this defeat. At the same time, as the Roma team under the leadership of former Roma legend De Rossi gradually showed a new tactical style and efficient execution, it indicates that Milan will face more severe competitive challenges in the next Serie A title competition.
In order to protect the team's bottom line and seek room for improvement in the future, AC Milan's management should assess the situation and introduce new tactical concepts and coaching thinking in due course, as there are existing indications that Coach Pioli is no longer able to lead the team to achieve greater tactical breakthroughs and achievements. Only by continuous innovation can we gain an invincible foothold in the fierce football competition and regain the glory of the former giants.
Here are the specific player ratings for Roma vs AC Milan:
Maignan (5.5): Didn't contribute much defensively, scored two goals, and was a little nervous with his teammates.
Calabria (5): Pioli placed him in the middle of the organisation and he did his best but failed to find an effective solution between centre-backs and full-backs against Roma's tight defence. (from 46' Reynders 5.5 points: After coming on he tried to restore order in midfield. He did his best, but he couldn't get it back).
Gabia (5.5): Defeat in a physical confrontation with Romelu Lukaku indirectly led to Roma's second goal, but it was too late to score a face-saving goal with a brilliant header in the second half.
Fikayo Tomori (5): Failing to keep up with Manuel Pellegrini in the first goal also revealed that Bennacer didn't work well with him.
Theo Hernandez (5): The attitude on the pitch was worrying, and there was almost nothing to do in this game, even making people forget that he existed.
Moussa (5.5): He was one of the few dynamic players in the first half, with Stefano Pioli playing him on the wing, successfully keeping Spinazzola at bay and making room for Christian Pulisic in midfield with a number of brilliant dribbles. (He was replaced by Florenzi in the 69th minute, who was involved in the final offensive but left the audience with only a boo at the Stadio Olimpic).
Bennacer (4.5): Unfortunately, he has a direct link to both goals conceded. In the first goal, Mancini was able to move freely in the middle of the box, and in the second he gave Pellegrini plenty of time to handle the ball, allowing Captain Gialosi to successfully switch positions for Romelu Lukaku and lead to Dybala's goal (Jovic came off the bench in the 40th minute to score 5.5 points, and although he came on as a firefighter, he didn't use his usual magic power in the game, although he created some dangerous chances in the box).
Christian Pulisic (5): He expressed a clear displeasure with Stefano Pioli's substitution decision, but the game was lackluster and extremely dull. Despite his efforts to change the situation, it did not have the desired effect (Okafor was substituted on 69 minutes and scored 5.5 points, but he also failed to show the magic of turnarounds that substitutes usually have, and he struggled to really cut into the heart of the game due to the imbalance of the formation and the blocking of the offensive line).
Loftus-Cheek (5.5): He came close to scoring twice, hitting the crossbar once and once with a header that was denied by Spinazzola beyond the baseline. He was a constant threat throughout the game (after 46 minutes, Chukwueze came on for him and scored six points, becoming the only player on the pitch to continue to pose a substantial threat to the Roma defence, further deepening the regret of not having him included in the starting line-up).
Leao (5 points): The performance is acceptable, but the highlights are lacking. There was no shortage of bright moments in the game, but unfortunately they could not be translated into decisive breakthroughs. Overall, it wasn't a bad game, but he deserved more surprises.
Olivier Giroud (5): On his final night on the European stage at AC Milan, he endured a painful night. Despite his incompetence in this contest, he was never able to make an impact, and Smalling was firmly restrained throughout the match.
Stefano Pioli has only four points: Whoever is responsible for the current predicament is worth pondering. He did his best to follow through on his tactical ideas, but with God's witness, Milan fans should no longer have to bear the shame of being in the spotlight of the world's gaze. Despite holding out for 60 minutes with a numerical advantage, he was unable to turn the tide and eventually lost the battle against experienced Europa League and Serie A veterans. When it came time to say goodbye, it seemed that there was no need to say more.