Almost Losing At Home, Fonseca Calls Milan Bad And Too Passive

AC Milan striker Alvaro Morata in the match against Torino. (X/@acmilan)

JAKARTA - AC Milan started the Italian Serie A competition with disappointing results because they almost lost at home. Coach Paulo Fonseca admits the team played too passive so they were only able to draw 2-2 against Torino at the San Siro Stadium, Sunday, August 18, 2024 in the morning WIB.

Milan failed to show maximum performance when they acted as hosts. They even conceded two goals. The centre-back scored Malick Thiaw's own goal. Furthermore, former Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata managed to increase Torino's lead.

Luckily, the new striker Alvaro Morata who made his debut as a substitute was able to reduce the lag when the game was almost over.

Milan dramatically escaped defeat after Noah Okafor scored in injury time. The score changed to 2-2 and then the game was over.

Responding to the disappointing result at home, Fonseca said that he did not expect Milan to perform perfectly in the first match. It's just that he remains disappointed with the team's performance. According to him Milan played very badly in the first half.

"I really don't expect us to make it perfect in this first game. But it must be admitted that our performance during the first 45 minutes was very bad. The team was too passive, especially in defense," Fonseca was quoted as saying by Football Italia.

"In the second half, our performances were different and played more aggressively. We could always win the ball and actually have a chance to win this game," he said.

Fonseca, further, said that this draw gave Milan a valuable lesson. According to him, the team still needs improvement.

The Portuguese coach dismissed if a fragile defense caused the poor result. But he hopes that the problem can be resolved soon so that the Rossoneri are better prepared in the next match.

"We have to continue to improve ourselves. There is still a lot to improve on," said Fonseca.

"I also see this is not a problem in the back sector. This is more of a collective problem. In the first half, we failed to put pressure on and this made it easier for Torino to attack us. I think we do have to make improvements in the back lines. But this improvement must be done as a whole," he said.

"I want the team to win the ball quickly. This makes the opponent have no time to think. The reason is we let Torino have time and space so they can move calmly," said the former AS Roma coach.

Meanwhile, Morata also admitted that she was not satisfied with her debut. Despite scoring goals, Milan failed to win the match.

"It's not a satisfying debut because we failed to win. This is what we want to convey," said Morata.

"We're actually trying to win because the opposing team can't do anything anymore and we still have the power to play. If there's an additional five minutes, we might be able to win," said the forward of the Spanish national team.

Milan will play their next match against host Parma at Ennio Tardini Stadium, next Saturday. Parma himself drew 1-1 against Fiorentina in the league's first match.