O Milan leaves with broken bones from Stamford Bridge in London. O 3-0 cut by Londoners for Pioli’s team it was nothing short of clear. Few noteworthy conclusions for the Rossoneri, who were never able to really worry Koulibaly and his teammates. However, the devil’s coach relied on his best men on offense despite a completely made up defense following the injuries of Calabria, Kjaer and Theo Hernandez. Krunic, From KetelaereLeão and Giroud had the task of breaking through the central rear of the Blues composed by Thiago Silva and Koulibaly – not easy – which incidentally was at least impeccable.
But regardless of the quality of Chelsea’s two centre-backs, what disappointed Milan fans was above all Charles De Ketelaere. Arriving in the summer of Bruges at the end of a long negotiation, the Belgian ace once again did not register as the Rossoneri had expected. For him, 11 games in total and just one assist in Serie A Until now. Not much for a player from whom everyone, especially society, expects a lot. He is young, and that is clear, he is 21 years old and still has a lot to learn, especially the automatisms of Italian football. Much less the English. And indeed, tonight his trouble was clear, as witnessed by impetuous numbers of his match that lasted just over 60 minutes.
“It wasn’t your best game – Gianfranco Zola told Amazon at the end of the game – He is the player who has lost the most balls despite having two players ahead who didn’t give him time to handle the ball”. De Ketelaere was tasked with acting as a filter in the attack, feeding Giroud and exploiting the spaces in the center of the area that Leão managed to create for him by taking out the man. And indeed for a moment in the first half the Belgian also had the opportunity to settle the score after the Londoners’ first goal. But De Ketelaere wasted it all.
Lion manages to serve him a golden ball but the Belgian’s right foot it’s soft, almost unconvinced and slowly ends up in Kepa’s arms. The goalkeeper, however, cannot block the ball, which then kicks at Krunic’s feet, who shoots high deflected by an opponent. De Ketelaere will be substituted in the second half and his match numbers are disappointing: just one shot on goal, zero opportunities created and 16 lost balls.
The Belgian has always seemed very shy and unable to play with one, at most two touches: in England the pace is very fast. Pioli should try to understand how to improve it, especially from a mental point of view. The Belgian needs to settle in and unlock immediately to really start making a difference in this Milan that needs him so much, his numbers and his class that have literally driven the Rossoneri’s leadership crazy in recent years.
A bandaged AC Milan without a few key men through injury certainly doesn’t help De Ketelaere. The Belgian still touched 44 balls over the course of his game, but on a few occasions he actually managed to create some notable dangerous actions. Juventus will be in the league on Saturday and the ex-Brugge will have one more opportunity, in a great match, to show off and make a difference. The pressure is great right now and maybe I’m feeling too much. The coach has the task of loosening up and restoring serenity to a player who could be decisive for Milan’s season once he has recovered.
Source: Fan Page IT
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
