Milan aim to turn page at Lecce following shock defeat

ROME: AC Milan stumbled out of the blocks in Serie A with a shock home defeat to promoted Cremonese, and attention now shifts to Friday’s clash at Lecce, where Massimiliano Allegri’s men will be under pressure to set things right.

Against Cremonese it was the fine margins that deserted Milan in a 2-1 loss. Both defense and attack faltered, and the supposed strength of their midfield offered little protection, allowing Cremonese to find space with worrying ease once they broke through the middle.

Massimiliano Allegri discusses...


Lecce
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“Considering the goals we conceded, clearly the defensive phase is where we need to improve. We don’t sense danger effectively,” Allegri admitted.

However, the veteran coach dismissed suggestions that the club needed a last-minute spending spree.

“I don’t think it was an issue of a player missing or not. When you play in Serie A, you meet tough opponents like Cremonese who fully deserved the victory by playing a smart defensive match and we made two errors.”

With only winger Rafael Leao sidelined by a calf injury, Allegri has another chance to find the right balance, but a defeat at Lecce could see Milan’s disappointing start turn into a worrying one for a club with lofty ambitions.

NAPOLI STRIKER WANTED
Antonio Conte’s Napoli started the season with a straightforward 2-0 win at Sassuolo but the reigning champions had to rely on key midfielders Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne to score the goals with striker Romelu Lukaku injured.

Against Cagliari at home on Saturday, a side that have lost to Napoli in their last two meetings without scoring, Lorenzo Lucca is likely to be the lone front man again.

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