Twists of fate. Florenzi had been sold by Roma in January 2020, during Fonseca’s management. More than four years later they found themselves at Milan and it was the former Giallorossi player who scored the first goal of the Portuguese’s Rossoneri adventure. Positioned as a midfielder in the second half, Florenzi was one of Milan’s brightest, just like Daniel Maldini, who returned from a season spent on loan split between Empoli and Monza. Fonseca fielded this eleven in the first half:
However, the team in the first 45 minutes seemed clumsy and slow, perhaps also due to the workload undertaken in preparation. The second half was more lively, with Florenzi’s goal assisted by Maldini, the goal conceded by Demir in the 89th minute, and the subsequent formation:
Fonseca: “Did interesting things”
On the official channels of the Rossoneri club, Paulo Fonseca also provided his comments: “We tried to do what we practiced in these two weeks, working more on build-up and, defensively, on being a compact team. It was our first match against a team that is at the end of their preparation, physically there was a big difference. We did some interesting things, but we lack continuity in our gameplay, but it’s all new, the change is very significant and obviously the players don’t know everything yet. There needs to be a connection between our players, communication is crucial, because defending we are dependent on each other. I want this leadership from everyone. I want them to understand the game, the moments of the match, and I believe they have begun to understand.”