"In the first part of 2025-26 he was omni-present defensively and offensively with his runs, recoveries, counter-attacks and even goals. The Belgian was anywhere and everything in tandem with Pulisic on the right flank, creating overloads with clever movement and well-timed runs. In the first 15 games - ones he played practically all in full - the former Roma loanee provided four assists and scored two goals."
"Saelemaekers is a very temperamental person, who often gets carried away by the events of the match, for better or worse. In a moment of negative pressure, where everything that can go wrong does go wrong and little or nothing on the pitch succeeds, Alexis is more affected than others. This is where a great player emerges: when he is the one to reverse events and not let them take over."
"So yes, Milan need to see the real Leao again, to rediscover Pulisic's lively legs and his goals, to find defensive stability (totally absent against Sassuolo) again, but it is equally essential to rediscover the best Saelemaekers."
Milan's offensive struggles extend beyond the forwards' goal drought to include a critical decline in service quality. Alexis Saelemaekers, who excelled in his wing-back role during the first half of the season with four assists and two goals in 15 games, has dramatically underperformed since January, providing only one assist. His defensive presence and creative runs that created overloads with Pulisic have disappeared. Saelemaekers' temperamental nature makes him susceptible to negative pressure, causing him to underperform in difficult matches rather than reverse events. While Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic's goal drought requires attention, rediscovering Saelemaekers' best form is equally essential for Milan's attacking balance and overall team performance.
Read at SempreMilan
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