The 40-year-old Magic Flute fights until his legs are weak! The new midfielder shoots 8 and 1 front, how many hidden worries are there when opening the door?

At the San Siro Stadium in Italy on August 24, AC Milan fans' hands holding scarves tighter and tighter - 1-2, the Ross and Blacks fell in the first round of Serie A. What is even more heartbreaking is that when the camera swept across the scene, 39-year-old Modric was bent over and rubbing his thighs, and sweat dripped along the tips of his hair onto the turf. This veteran who should have sat on the bench and enjoyed applause fought for 74 minutes and barely supported the team's midfield with an almost "overdrawn" state. The 40-year-old "can't run to death" is still filling the hole with experience

Modric

It is no exaggeration to say that Modric is a "magic flute". Even though he is 39 years old (on September 9, he turns 40), he is still the most "no routine" person on the court. In this game, he started running from the first minute: when he received the ball from the left, he suddenly accelerated and changed direction, leaving the defender behind; when the midfielder took the ball, he looked up and swept it, and immediately sent a straight pass, but unfortunately the forward could not keep up; even on the defensive end, he rushed back to the penalty area twice to make up for the clearance, and once intercepted the opponent's cross...

The data will not lie: In 74 minutes, his hot zone map almost covered every inch of the turf on the court; 3 key passes, tearing the defense line like a scalpel every time; 90.8% pass success rate means that he almost did not leave his opponent with too many counterattack opportunities. What makes people sigh most is his defensive contribution - 2 clearances and 1 interception, which is a "all-round midfielder".

But the veteran's physical strength is limited after all. In the 74th minute, when Modric was replaced, he held his knee and gasped. His teammates patted his back to try to comfort him, but he waved his hand and his eyes were still staring at the field - it was Cremona's player celebrating his second goal. This scene made the fans on the sidelines sigh: It’s not that the Magic Flute is not good enough, but that his partner is really a bit "lack".

New midfielder 8 shots and 1 positive: The money was spent, what is the effect?

Modric

Modric's fatigue is largely due to the lack of help from his side. Chick and Fofana, who were partnered with him in the midfield, had 8 shots in total, with only one shot within the goal frame; what is even more ironic is that the only one shot is directed, which is ridiculously biased.

Chick

Chick is the midfielder introduced from Chelsea for 55 million euros this summer, while Fofana invested with a net worth of 40 million euros. Logically speaking, this pair of "billion yuan combination" should be the team's new engine, but reality makes people shake their heads. Chik's running range was quite large, but he spent most of the time retracing meaninglessly to catch the ball. After getting the ball, he rushed forward and did not consider the position of his teammate at all. Fufana was like a "headless fly". He tried to break through several times and was easily cut off by his opponent, and he missed people in defense. Cremona's third goal was scored using the space behind him.

Fofana

The most heart-wrenching thing is the defensive attitude of the two. According to fans' post-match statistics, Chick only won 1 time in three ground confrontations, and Fofana was shaken by opponent winger Bonazoli 4 times, two of which directly led to a dangerous attack. When Modric was running hard in the midfield, these two valuable young men failed to share even half of the pressure for him.

Midfielder's "agency disease" is in trouble again? The defeat of Modric not only exposed the running-in problem of new players, but also the long-standing "fault crisis" in Milan's midfield.

Magic Flute is of course a legend. At the age of 39, he can still start in the Champions League final and assist in the major competition. Such a player is the only one in the world. But football is not a one-person sport - when opponents use faster pressing and more fierce confrontation to hit the midfield, Milan's midfield lacks people who can stand up and "top". Chick and Fofana obviously have not adapted to the strength of Serie A, and there is no other team in the team that can replace them.

Alegri

Alegri admitted after the game: "We need time to integrate into new players, but this loss sounded the alarm for us." But what fans want to know more is: If the Magic Flute's condition begins to decline, Chick and Fofana will never find the feeling. Who will support Milan's midfield? Milan’s current dilemma – When the legend gradually grows old, where is the new “backbone”?

Perhaps, this 1-2 loss may not be a bad thing for Milan. At least, it made the club and fans realize that the "return of the magic flute alone cannot win all the games. To get back to the top, they need to develop new players faster or find a real midfield combination. After all, the Magic Flute can still fight, but he is already 40 years old after all.

Milan's opening door is black, will you be surprised?

Every corner of the green world is hidden in stories - the power game in the locker room of the wealthy, the Jedi counterattack of grassroots teams, and the secret world of retired players. I am Brother Hua. From the perspective of 15-year-old fans, I can see through the bloodiness and warmth inside and outside the green field.