How Ruben Amorim's Milan will defend the counterattack

The opening match against Torino gives us a clear picture of what to watch for in Amorim's Milan. Pre-season and the first fixture suggest a high defensive line and an aggressive press from the front three -8.

This system will create space between the centre-backs and the goalkeeper. Watch how often Torino's strikers try to run into that channel. The real test for Milan's shape will be whether the two wing-backs can recover quickly enough to prevent overloads on the counter.

If the full-backs are caught too high and the midfield runners don't track back, expect to see large gaps appearing between the units. In the first ten minutes, watch the distance between Milan's defence and attack. That will tell you if this pressing system is sustainable or if it will leave them exposed.

The first ten minutes often expose a bad pre-match assumption.

Question: How do you think the departure of a pragmatic coach like Allegri will affect the team's defensive organisation under Amorim?

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Note: This post is a tactical observation based on the latest available match previews and fixtures -5-6-8.