Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Ruben Amorim said Luka Modric “has no chance” of affecting games that become stretched without any measure of AC Milan control, as he explained his decision to withdraw the Croatian at half-time against Lazio.
Milan played out their second straight draw in Serie A on Saturday, becoming the first team to prevent the Biancocelesti from winning this season as four goals were shared equally in Rome.
They had to come from behind to do so, though, with goals from Matteo Cancellieri and Tijjani Noslin giving Lazio a 2-0 lead at half-time, at which point Amorim replaced Modric with Yunus Musah.
That change had the desired effect as another substitute, Diego Moreira, scored twice to snatch a point for the Rossoneri, becoming the youngest player – at the age of 22 years and 37 days – to net multiple goals off the bench for Milan since Opta data collection started in 2004-05.
Despite having a 60.7% possession share, Milan lost the expected goals battle by 0.53 xG to 2.0 in the first half. After Modric’s withdrawal, Amorim’s side had 71.9% of the ball and created 0.72 xG to Lazio’s 0.02.
“We changed the way we presented ourselves in the second half with Musah, because we understood we needed a little more pace in the middle,” Amorim said afterwards.
“Also, Luka was really near the centre-backs, then it was four players to start one play, and less space between the lines.
“We can play with Luka, we proved that in the previous matches, but we have to control the game and have possession.
“If we transform the game into runs, without control, he has no chance.”
— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 12, 2026
Modric completed 36 of his 42 attempted passes at the Stadio Olimpico, but only six of those ended in the final third as Lazio did a good job of plugging the gaps in the first half.
But Amorim said everyone in black and red, not just Modric, needed to play at their best level for the full 90 minutes.
“The energy in the first half was honestly not there, we lost so many possessions without any pressure, simple passes,” Amorim said.
“They went past our defenders too easily, but the second half was the opposite. We had energy, we controlled the game, it was a completely different team and a completely different game.
“We managed to secure one point, but if you look at the game, we need to do better. You cannot play just one half.”
Milan are next in action against Benfica in the Europa League on Wednesday, before Lecce visit San Siro next Sunday for their final game before the international break.
Serie A News
Spalletti keen to end ‘culture of alibis’ around Juventus injuries
Serie A News
Allegri calls for cool heads as Napoli target first home win
Serie A News
More criticism than I received at Man Utd is impossible, says Milan boss Amorim
Serie A News
McTominay unsure on contract renewal, reveals Napoli sporting director
Serie A News
Vicario thanks ‘man of his word’ De Zerbi for Juve move
Serie A News
Esposito commits future to Inter with six-year contract
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
