Liverpool vs. AC Milan Analysis: Set Piece Success and High-Press Dominance

Liverpool bounced back after their defeat against Nottingham Forest with an impressive performance on San Siro. After an early goal by the “Rossoneri”, Arne Slot was in full control of the game and bounced back. Liverpool suffocated Milan with their 4-2-4 pressing structure, keeping them contained in their own half, and Cody Gakpo had an outstanding performance.

Let’s look at the main talking points!

Liverpool’s Pressing Suffocates Struggling Milan

Liverpool set up in a 4-2-4 pressing shape, similar to what they did against Manchester United. So how did Milan exploit it? With Theo Hernandez and Calabria higher up the pitch, Mike Maignan sent long balls over Liverpool’s front line seeking them. Relying on long balls, Maignan bypassed Liverpool’s first line of pressure. Witnessing Liverpool’s overwhelming intensity, we even witnessed a couple of long goal kicks.

When Pulisic opened the scoring, it all came from Maignan. With Liverpool’s pressing shifted heavily towards the right, Davide Calabria had plenty of space on the other side. Tsimikas rushed to press him, but was a bit too late, and with Virgil van Dijk coming out to contest Morata, there was a huge gap in the right wing. Christian Pulisic saw the opportunity, sprinted into space, carried the ball and sent it in the net.

Liverpool then adapted, being much more patient and striking when they saw an opening. Milan was static, with moments during build up when we saw Maignan confused and frustrated because of a lack of passing options. Sometimes I got the feeling that Milan was hiding behind The Reds, as if scared to receive the ball.

It is no wonder. Liverpool haunted Milan with their pressing, with Gravenberch having 6 interceptions, 2 less than the entire Milan team. Pulisic kept dropping deep, trying to counteract Liverpool’s tight man-marking in midfield. Fonseca wanted another midfielder during build-up, yet Milan picked up only when they were trailing by two goals, and Liverpool’s pressure calmed down.

Avoiding Mistakes and Exploiting Them

Liverpool was building with a back four, with both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Konstantinos Tsimikas quite low, in line with the two centre backs. This prevented Leao from taking advantage of a potential turnover. We saw in the game against Manchester United, how having fullbacks very high during build-up can leave a team outnumber against a 4-2-4 pressing shape such as the one adopted by Milan.

Liverpool had a few turnovers and looked to break through the press in central areas. Salah stayed up wide on the right wing, being a constant threat and stretching out Milan’s defensive shape. The Reds used quick vertical passes when they saw the opening. Although Milan kept the lines quite compact, but whenever they had even a small opening, they took it. In the 17th minute, Gravenberch found Jota on the half-turn, between the compact lines. He finds Salah, whose violent shot rattles the crossbar.

During the first half, Salah was in the centre of attention. With two shots that hit the post, he was dominating the right wing. He was also the major outlet for Liverpool’s counterattacks, as he was the most advanced player on the pitch. Liverpool switched more towards the right wing in the second half, with Cody Gakpo delivering a superb performance.

There is a big competition for the three forward spots at Liverpool and Gakpo made his case against Milan. He had one assist, two shots on target and four successful dribbles. Overrunning Davide Calabria, he was a menace and the perfect outlet for Liverpool to assert their dominance down Milan’s weaker wing.

Milan’s Goalkeeping Problem. Or, Lack thereof?

Mike Maignan was one of, if not the best, Milan player in this game. With 5 saves and 26/31 (84%) passes, he was involved both in Milan’s defensive efforts and their build-up shape. He provided a reliable option out back. So after 50 minutes, when he performed a last service to his team, saving Jota’s attempt, things were looking grim for Milan.

Lorenzo Torriani, the 19-year-old substitute goalkeeper, looked lost as Fonseca called upon him. He was almost like a deer waiting to be hit by a truck. Yet, he performed really well. With 3 saves and 0,43 goals prevented, it was a great Champions League debut for the youngster. He showed excellent ball control, and he was reliable. In the 86th minute, he even came out and snatched a ball in front of Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez with a high kick worthy of Mr. Miyagi’s admiration. Now that’s a grand debut.

Set Piece Bonanza at San Siro

Trent Alexander-Arnold steps back. He scans the box and takes two and a half steps back. Konate is at the edge of the 6 yard box, near Youssouf Fofana. Trent crosses, Fofana runs in the opposite direction as Konate sprints towards the goal, jumps in front of Tomori and scores. It was that easy. Milan’s marking during set pieces was disastrous.

Then, towards the end of the first half, Konstantinos Tsimikas steps back. He scans the box and takes a few steps back. You know where this is going. Only this time it was Virgil van Dijk, marked by Tijjani Reijnders (I don’t know why, from all players, Reijnders is marking van Dijk) who slipped and headed the ball into the net. Again, terrible defensive effort from AC Milan with set pieces. As we saw in the North London derby, set pieces are becoming more and more important in football. Stubbornness and lack of preparation for set pieces are having a big impact.

What about Federico Chiesa?

Chiesa made his Liverpool debut yesterday, substituting Salah in the last four minutes of the game. He was not welcomed to San Siro, a stadium whose main soundtrack is based on the Rossoneri’s rivalry with his former team. We didn’t get to see much of him in action, with only one touch and one pass.

As I expected, he came on as a replacement for Salah, confirming our suspicions regarding his role at Liverpool. With the uncertainty of whether or not Sarah will continue next season, it will be interesting to see if Chiesa will fit into the team, and when will Arne Slot give him more minutes.

Conclusions

Liverpool delivered a commanding performance against AC Milan, bouncing back impressively from their previous defeat. Their intense 4-2-4 pressing structure suffocated Milan, limiting their attacking options and forcing them to rely on long balls. Cody Gakpo stood out with a stellar display, further asserting his place in Liverpool’s attacking lineup. While Milan struggled defensively, particularly with set pieces, Mike Maignan’s solid goalkeeping kept them somewhat afloat.

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