5 things from AC Milan's derby defeat to Inter
Welcome to the 5 Things recap by theScore's Anthony Lopopolo, which highlights AC Milan's performances over the 2018-19 season. Here's a breakdown of Milan's 3-2 defeat to city rivals Inter.
Spalletti outcoached Gattuso
Milan may have shown some heart in the second half, but their sleepy start made it impossible to mount a comeback.
Inter knew that Milan tend to struggle with a high press, so that's exactly what they did from the start, and it was improvisation from there. Gattuso tried to make changes and affect the flow of the game - even playing Franck Kessie at right-back - but there's no question he was outcoached.
Milan just didn't come to the game prepared, and the same thing happened in the first derby of the season. The club hasn't played a complete 90 minutes in a while.
Milan have relied on too many moments of brilliance, and there has to be a better plan going forward.
Bakayoko tries to make an impact
Tiemoue Bakayoko was by far Milan's best player on the night. His bursting runs through the middle put Inter in distress, and his looping header gave Milan hope when it was difficult to imagine a comeback.
Even if the effort came up short, Bakayoko at least offered something different, showing why he's so important to the cause and why Milan have to sign him outright at the end of the season.
Romagnoli has a derby to forget
Simply put, Milan's captain has to play better in a game of this magnitude.
Alessio Romagnoli failed to mark his man twice, allowing Inter to take a massive 2-0 lead. Though he made some blocks, Romagnoli was disappointing in the air.
Inter's crosses into the area caught Milan off guard. As the leader of the group, Romagnoli has to show a greater level of concentration during big moments.
Inter shut out Piatek
Inter silenced the gunslinger, as Krzysztof Piatek couldn't shake off Milan Skriniar or Stefan De Vrij. They marked him out of the game.
The service wasn't great, but Piatek had no way through because Skriniar's positional awareness is outstanding. He rarely puts a foot wrong, and he gave Piatek no room to operate. Many of Milan's long balls ended up nowhere, and that's because Inter made sure to contain Piatek.
Milan aren't dead yet
As much as it hurts to lose a derby, Milan still have a lot to play for this year. They remain four points ahead of Roma in fourth place and face a manageable last 10 games of the season.
Milan still have a fantastic chance to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2013, and they can't forget that. The rest of the season requires just as much attention as Sunday's derby.