AC Milan’s Serie A season got off to a disastrous start with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of newly promoted Parma. The Rossoneri were stunned by a goal from Dennis Man just 83 seconds into the match, and despite Christian Pulisic equalizing in the 66th minute, substitute Matteo Cancellieri restored Parma’s lead to secure a remarkable victory.
Following the defeat, AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca expressed his disappointment, placing the blame squarely on the team’s defensive shortcomings. “I’m disappointed. It’s difficult to explain our defensive attitude. It’s clear that we have a defensive problem,” Fonseca stated in his post-match press conference.
He elaborated on the team’s defensive issues, emphasizing that the problem wasn’t solely confined to the defenders, but rather a collective failing. “For Parma it was too easy when they attacked. I’m not just talking to the defenders, I’m talking about the whole team, how they defend collectively and individually. I take responsibility for what the team does, but we have to recognise these defensive problems.”
Fonseca further pointed out that Parma, who had drawn their previous match against Fiorentina, managed to equal Milan’s number of shots on target. He attributed the defeat to the team’s poor defensive performance throughout the match, stating, “The team works well during the week, I think I see improvement in view of the match. Then today we arrive here and in the first situation we concede a goal. We behaved badly defensively in all moments of the match. (There’s) a problem to solve, of attitude. We need to work as a team.”
The manager highlighted the team’s tendency to lose possession easily, which allowed Parma to create chances while defending deep. He also identified mistakes in the team’s marking and defensive recoveries. “We lose the ball too easily. This allows a team that defends deep to create chances. We have made mistakes in preventive marking, defensive recoveries that we do not do together,” he concluded.
AC Milan now face a tough challenge as they travel to Lazio on August 31st. They will need to address their defensive frailties and improve their collective effort if they are to turn their fortunes around and challenge for the Serie A title.
