First win secured, but AC Milan Women’s problems won’t be solved as long as Maurizio Ganz remains in charge

The new 2023/24 Serie A Femminile season is still just two matchdays old, making it near impossible to draw too many conclusions about sides this early, but a lot of the same old problems appear to be present for AC Milan Women under Maurizio Ganz. The Rossonere managed a 1-0 win away at Napoli Femminile on Matchday 2, but Emelyne Laurent‘s strike allowed Milan to escape with three beyond-fortunate points.

Although there was a real feeling of inevitability when the ball fell Laurent‘s way in a crowded box deep into stoppage time, that Milan were even in a position to be able to score a 96th-minute winner was more a reflection of Napoli‘s inability to convert chances than it was of the Rossonere’s own work.

Predictable in attack, Ganz’s Milan don’t play to their strengths

Coping without star forward Kosovare Asllani was never going to be easy for Ganz and Milan, as any side would struggle without the Sweden international, but the Rossonere had more than enough talent on the pitch to have taken care of the Azzurre in a more comfortable manner.

In Chante Dompig, Gloria Marinelli and Andrea Staskova, Milan started with a front three alone that could cause problems for any backline in Serie A. But Staskova, for all her positives, just wasn’t used as she could have been. Still, it feels like the ability of this Milan squad is being held back by their coach.

Having arrived this summer as Martina Piemonte‘s replacement in attack, Staskova is the most physical forward in Italian women’s football and there aren’t many – if any – defenders capable of dealing with her strength. Having shown that time and again in her previous spell in Italy with Juventus Women, Milan‘s apparent reluctance to just launch balls in her direction made little sense, and would have left the Napoli defence delighted.

Rather than looking to find Staskova and go direct, Ganz‘s Milan instead laboured in possession and looked to lack any direction or instruction when on the ball. In truth, they should have found themselves behind on more than one occasion only for Paloma Lazaro and Marija Banusic to miss huge chances when through on Laura Giuliani‘s goal.

Serie A’s big two march on

Both Juventus and champions AS Roma are again expected to go head to head in this season’s title race, and the two sides each scored four goals in comfortable Matchday 2 wins.

Roma won 4-1 at home to Como Women, with Martina Tomaselli, Saki Kumagai and Evelyne Viens scoring their first goals for the Giallorosse. Tomaselli bundled in their third having come off the bench a minute earlier.

Juventus, meanwhile, debuted at their new home at the Stadio Pozzo-La Marmora in Biella, with Player of the Week Cristiana Girelli scoring and assisting. Lineth Beerensteyn netted twice there, with Maelle Garbino opening her Bianconere account in their 4-1 defeat of Sampdoria.

Serie A Femminile 2023/24: Matchday 2 results

Serie A Femminile table