Same old, same old [Newsletter]

AC Milan needed a miracle in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against their city rivals Inter, but they didn’t get one. Once again, the Nerazzurri were superior and the Rossoneri’s otherwise positive adventure in the competition thus had a very disappointing ending.

After the 2-0 result in the first leg, very few believed that Milan would be able to turn things around in the second leg. Rafael Leao was back from start and that perhaps increased the hope among the Rossoneri fans, but even so that hope was minimal (and that proved to be justified).

Milan had their moments at the start of the game, most notably when Sandro Tonali did brilliantly on the left flank to set up Brahim Diaz. The latter, however, was far from brilliant last night and that was perhaps best evidenced by the weak effort he came up with, which didn’t trouble the goalkeeper at all.

From there on, Inter controlled the game really well and eventually added to their aggregate lead. Milan looked better than in the first leg, don’t get us wrong, but still lacked the crucial fighting spirit and also the quality in both phases of the game. They have lost four out of five derbies this season, which says a lot.

The Rossoneri, and above all the ownership, have a lot to think about ahead of next season. Just three games remain in the league - Sampdoria, Juventus and Hellas Verona - and Champions League qualification is a great risk. Stefano Pioli’s men are four points behind the top four but could perhaps be rescued by Juventus (depending on their points deduction).

Paolo Maldini’s words after the game last night said a lot about the future of the club. In fact, he once again made it clear that investments will be needed in the summer to compete at the top. A clear signal to Gerry Cardinale, but he also acknowledged that Milan have struggled tactically, which seems like a signal to Stefano Pioli.

“The gap with Inter real. This hasn’t even been a question in the last four games against them. It is Inter’s way of playing that bothers us, but we have also struggled against teams weaker teams than Inter in the last period… We're not yet built to compete in two competitions, we must invest to stay in the top four and do well in Italy,” he stated.

No matter what happens, we can expect an eventful summer for Milan and we can only hope what’s best for the club is prioritised. The truth is that the fans won’t allow anything else, with pressure already mounting on Cardinale even though he hasn’t even owned the team for a year yet.

News bulletin

➤ Milan’s Primavera side showed a lot of heart and character to twice come from behind and earn a 2-2 draw in the derby against Inter, with Victor Eletu and Hugo Cuenca scoring the goals for Simone Inzaghi's side.

➤ The AC Milan Women were close to pulling off an impressive win over Roma at the weekend, but they conceded an equaliser in added time to let a two-goal lead slip for an eventual 2-2 draw, which draws parallels with the men's game back in January.

➤ Milan will be without Ismael Bennacer for six months after he underwent surgery on his knee in France on Tuesday to fix a cartilage issue. Now, it seems two midfield signings will be needed this summer.

➤ Perhaps nobody expected Milan would get to the Champions League semi-final, but the defeats against Inter and the poor league form risks rendering the season a disappointment. A summer 'reset' is therefore possible, with as many as 11 players at risk of being shown the door.

➤ Paolo Maldini made some very interesting comments after the second leg loss against the Nerazzurri, hinting that Milan were unable to come up with tactical answers against their city rivals and also asking for investment in the squad.

➤ News broke earlier in the week suggesting that Milan are in talks over Daichi Kamada who will leave Eintracht Frankfurt on a free. Further confirmations then arrived, and now it is even being suggested an agreement in principle has been reached.

In case you missed it

Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, as well as the latest bonus podcast (only available on Substack!). You can also read our latest bonus article which discusses the future of Stefano Pioli and what the position of the club is.