AC Milan completed their second consecutive season without Champions League football after falling 2-1 to an already safe Cagliari. The defeat, combined with wins for AS Roma and Como, left the Rossoneri out of Europe's top competition. Roma secured third place with 73 points after beating Hellas Verona 2-0, while Como thrashed Cremonese 4-1 to seal their qualification. Cremonese and Verona were relegated to the Second Division.
The tactical algorithm that failed at San Siro 🧠
Stefano Pioli's approach was based on high pressing with an advanced defensive line, but Cagliari exploited the spaces with quick transitions. The possession stats (62% for Milan) do not reflect the lack of attacking depth. The absence of a reference point in the opponent's area resulted in six shots on target from eleven attempts. Roma, in contrast, optimized their 4-3-3 with attacking full-backs who generated numerical superiority on the flanks, a scheme that Como successfully replicated against a disorganized Cremonese.
Milan needed a GPS... to find the goal 🎯
The Rossoneri dominated possession like someone who dominates the Play controller but forgets to connect the HDMI. They had the ball, the stats, and even the Champions League anthem playing on the dressing room speaker, but they forgot to put the ball in the net. Meanwhile, Roma celebrated their qualification with the elegance of someone finding a bill in an old coat. At least Milan now knows what to do in May: watch the final on TV, just like last year.