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San Siro felt warm again as Pioli returned to applause, but the glow faded fast once the football started telling the truth. We break down a nervy win over Fiorentina and a costly draw with Pisa to reveal a simple, stubborn reality: Milan controls games without turning that control into clean, repeatable chances. The biggest fault line runs through the No. 9—Leão’s two recent goals help, yet playing him centrally mutes the very chaos that makes him elite on the wing. Meanwhile, Santi Gimenez’s drought is now a tactical and psychological problem, not just a cold streak.

We get specific on profiles and partnerships. Leão thrives wide with space to burst; he struggles as a back-to-goal reference against compact blocks. Pairing him with a true striker or second forward (Nkunku deserves a start) restores width, penalty-box presence, and better spacing for late runners. Creativity remains thin without Pulisic and an often-absent Loftus-Cheek, and the midfield loses its balance when Rabiot sits: Modric can’t conduct if Fofana is forced to progress instead of protecting. Saelemaekers wins praise for availability and work rate—incremental growth matters—but the final third still needs a sharper edge.

We also look ahead. Atalanta in Bergamo is precisely the kind of match where selection clarity matters: choose profiles that create one more clean chance than the low block concedes. January should be precise, not busy—one efficient box striker who attacks crosses and second balls, and a versatile defender to protect wide-central channels. Overbuilding risks minutes crunch in a World Cup year; one backup per position is the sweet spot. Turn sterile dominance into sharp chances, and the table will move.

If you’re riding this title chase with us, tap follow, share the show with a fellow Milanista, and drop your take: start Leão wide with a true 9, or keep the experiment alive? Your call could be the difference between grit and glory.

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