Genoa's three straight wins test Amorim's word that Milan cannot fight on two fronts
Rúben Amorim said after Thursday's 2-0 home defeat by Ferencváros that Milan are not ready to compete in Serie A and Europe at once. Three days later they go to a Genoa side that has taken 12 points from its last five matches, with Daniele De Rossi calling his extra rest a small advantage.
Rúben Amorim did not reach for comfort on Thursday night. Lenny Joseph had scored twice for Ferencváros at San Siro, Milan had lost a third Europa League match in four, and their coach said: "We're not ready to compete on both fronts in Serie A and Europe." The facts proved it, he added, and so did the game: "we're not mentally ready."
Milan should edge it with their rested first team back, but Genoa arrive on a winning run built on a defence that has barely been beaten.
The league has not yet paid for it. After the 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth on 22 October, Milan won 2-0 at Udinese three days later. The defeat that hurt came at San Siro against Bologna, 4-2, and three days after that they beat Inter 3-1. They are fifth on 21 points, and Amorim kept his strongest players back on Thursday, with Mario Gila, Luka Modrić, Diego Moreira and Christian Pulisic on the bench. The side that won the derby is expected back, and Mike Maignan returns after serving his European ban.
Genoa will not be the side Milan would have met in September. They took one point from their first five matches and 12 from the next five, and the last three were all won: 1-0 against Venezia, 2-0 against Juventus and 2-1 at Lecce, where Junior Messias scored and Stephan El Shaarawy set him up, two of Milan's old players in De Rossi's attack. Justin Bijlow has conceded once in the three. "We had a bit more time to prepare the game. A small advantage over Milan," De Rossi said, and then: "Let's not forget that Milan beat the strongest team in Italy."
Genoa have not beaten Milan in six meetings since October 2023, and the one doubt in Amorim's defence is Strahinja Pavlović, still training on his own on Friday, with Matteo Gabbia and Fikayo Tomori already out.
It is the last match before the international break. A win keeps Milan two points behind Como in fourth with the Europa League the only front that has failed them; a defeat would let Thursday's sentence describe both.
