The entire campaign has been a mess, but suddenly there is a some reason for optimism at AC Milan
Where has this been all season? For some time, Milan has so desperately needed a powerful performance, a breakout game that could theoretically get this team on track. Yet, seemingly every time they had such an opportunity, the team would fall flat. That's why Wednesday's Coppa Italia semifinal match against Inter was so big. If the season was to be saved, it had to happen now.
And, finally, Milan did it. They handled business in a 3-0 win over their fiercest rivals on the day and a 4-1 on aggregate. That win put Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and Milan into a second final of the year. What's on the line in that final? A trophy, of course, but also a Europa League spot that would, in some ways, make everything the club went through in this forgettable season worth it.
Milan were shockingly eliminated from the Champions League by Feyenoord. Their Serie A hopes continue to dwindle as even a finish in one of the European places now looks unlikely. The club is on its second manager of the season, and there's a very real chance that there will be another one coming in in time for next season.
Transfers have misfired, the atmosphere has gotten tense and a full tear-down and rebuild is in order heading into what is no doubt a crucial summer for the club. That rebuild will be made easier, though, if it begins with a trophy in hand and a place in Europe confirmed.
By booking their date in the Copa Italia final, Milan have hope and something to fight for over the final weeks of this European season.
Getty ImagesHow it's gone wrong
There's this been phenomenon with Milan in which, every time you think they have it right, something goes sideways.
The Supercoppa Italiana win in January was supposed to be the catalyst, but results didn't really improve. Every time it seemed would get going, they'd suffer a setback. In the weeks leading up to Wednesday's second leg, Milan had just blasted Udinese, 4-0, only to then fall, 1-0, to Atalanta in a match that virtually everyone saw as make-or-break.
"Sometimes the episodes turn in our favor, other times not," Conceicao said. "Like Atalanta, who didn’t get past the halfway line and then scored on our mistake. We have to find this consistency because we have players of technical quality, then you have to add something else in football.”
Milan have been in that "make-or-break" mode for months. They have always been on the periphery in the Serie A race, never really looking anything like champions. Since the Supercoppa Italiana win, the club has been consistently inconsistent. They've won just seven of their 15 Serie A games since, tumbling down the table – they now sit ninth and are staring up at a European chance. They're six points out of seventh and, with just five games left, the hope of making a push for automatic qualification is dwindling.
So, where did it go wrong? Was it when they turned to Paulo Fonseca to start the season before promptly firing him heading into the new year? Was it the decision to turn the managerial reins over to Sergio Conceicao, who, Supercoppa aside, has done little to right the ship?
You could easily argue it was the January transfer window, when Milan took major swings to sign Santiago Gimenez, Kyle Walker and Joao Felix – with none making a real impact since arriving in Italy. It's a perfect storm of misfires and mistakes that put this team into a hole that looks too deep to climb out of.
Except they may be able to do just that with one last-gasp push that was spurred on, not by one of those January signings, but by an often-maligned striker.
AdvertisementGettyA big win over rivals
There's something about playing your biggest rival. Those games can create memories define seasons. If you rate Milan's solely by how they performed against Inter, this would be the best campaign in club history.
With Wednesday's win, Milan are now unbeaten in five against their cross-stadium rivals. There were two derbies in Serie A, a win and a draw. There was a 3-2 win in the Supercoppa Italiana final. There was a 1-1 draw in the "home" leg to kickstart this Coppa Italia tie. And there was this week's result, the biggest yet.
It came on the back of Luka Jovic, who netted two of Milan's goals in the 3-0 win. The first came in the 36th minute and the second came five minutes into the second half. Tijani Reijnders, then, iced the game in the 85th minute, sealing Milan's best performance of the season. They say it's better late than never, and Milan saved this type of performance for their last real chance to save their campaign.
“What we showed today, we didn’t manage to prove several times in the league," Conceicao said. "If we had been humble, with this attitude, I’m not saying it would have been a walk in the park in the league, but we would have done something different. I’m very happy for the boys.
"We have to find this consistency in this final part of the season. I told the players every action we have, we have to be focused at all times.”
Now, a Europa League spot is on the table should they win the finale in a few weeks' time. That match is of the utmost importance, particularly for the two Americans in Milan's team.
Getty Images SportWhat it means for Pulisic
All season long, Christian Pulisic has been AC Milan's most consistent goal threat. He's got 15 goals in all competitions, putting him level with fellow leader Reijnders. His nine assists are the second-most on the team behind only Rafael Leao. He's scored in big games and at big moments. It certainly isn't Pulisic's fault that Milan's season hasn't gone to plan. In fact, if not for him, this could have been a lot worse.
That's why winning the Copa Italia is now so important. A player such as Pulisic needs to be playing in Europe and, while there are several others at Milan who will make the same claim, Pulisic is one of the few who actually has weight behind it. Pulisic is a Champions League-level player, which means qualifying for the Europa League through the cup is the least that would be acceptable this season.
Despite it all, Pulisic has reiterated that he's happy at Milan and that he has no intentions of leaving. Whether that changes with the possibility of no Europe is anyone's guess.
"I feel like I'm in such a more peaceful place off the field, away from everything," he told GOAL about life in Milan. "I can say that pretty comfortably."
Pulisic started and played 78 minutes in Wednesday's win. He created two chances and had a few decent moments in a relatively quiet game by his standards. Pulisic, though, isn't the only American in the team, and the other U.S. men's national team star's future is more uncertain.
Getty Images SportWhat it means for Musah
Speaking to GOAL ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League, Musah admitted something that few athletes ever do: he hears the criticism. More importantly, he understands it.
"Because people have been seeing me play for longer, I'm getting less slack," he said. "They're not as patient anymore. When you've been in the game for longer, you need to be better. I understand that. I understand that, for sure."
Since then, it hasn't improved for Musah, who finds himself in a trying time.
We last saw him on April 5 in a 2-2 loss to Fiorentina. A bad giveaway early led to a goal and, more importantly, to a shock to Musah's system. He was taken off by Conceicao after just 23 minutes. Some will see it as mercy, others will see it as an insult. Either way, it wasn't good.
Musah hasn't seen the field since, with that performance clearly having lasting ramifications. Milan are in must-win mode, and Conceicao clearly doesn't trust Musah to be one of the players to get those wins.
Maybe another coach could, and Conceicao's future is anything but certain. The same can be said of Musah's, given his lack of tangible progress with Milan. He's floated on the fringes of the starting XI in multiple positions but hasn't claimed any of them for his own. There's still an incredible player buried underneath there, but Musah hasn't found a way to consistently tap into that at any spot on the field.
Regardless of how Milan fare the rest of the way, Musah's future is a question mark. It's much less tied to European competition than some of his teammates, but it is equally as uncertain as, at 22, the midfielder will find himself at something of a crossroads.