Saelemaekers: Milan Must Work Harder After Benfica Loss

Alexis Saelemaekers underscored that Milan ‘have no excuse’ following the 2-0 defeat to Benfica in the Europa League. He stressed the necessity to ‘work harder and ensure we don’t repeat these errors.’

The Rossoneri are facing difficulties after their Europa League opener ended in a 2-0 home loss to Benfica. This followed two consecutive draws in Serie A against Juventus and Lazio.

The performance against Benfica was arguably the team's weakest of the season so far, showing a decline rather than improvement.

Goals from Dodi Lukebakio and Jakub Kaminski highlighted slow defensive play and a lack of urgency from Milan.

“I believe we prepared well for this match, but we lacked determination and grit. Now, we need to discuss with the coach to identify what went wrong and ensure we avoid making the same mistakes,” Saelemaekers told Sky Sport Italia.

Benfica fielded a significantly rotated squad, making only nine changes, yet Milan still struggled. The team again failed to score in the first half and cannot consistently depend on substitutions to change the game's outcome.

“Many teams now closely observe each other in the first half to understand their formations, but it hasn’t worked effectively for us recently,” Saelemaekers commented.

“We have no justification; we represent Milan and must score goals. We need to increase our effort and stop repeating these mistakes.”

A notable statistic reveals that nearly all of Milan's goals in their first five games were scored within a brief five-minute period, from the 64th to the 69th minute. The only other goal was an own goal from Venezia's Redouane Halhal in the 89th minute.

Saelemaekers often features as a versatile substitute, playing in various positions, including the central attacking midfield role against Benfica.

“The only solution is hard work. We must continue working together, and I, too, must work to regain my place.”