Tuttosport: Jimenez remains important under Conceicao – his tactical role vs. Inter | OneFootball

Various tactical moves that Sergio Conceicao used during his two games in charge of AC Milan deserve picking out, including what he did with the wingers.

This morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanPress) writes how Alex Jimenez had shone in the last few games of the Paulo Fonseca era and has continued to be a fixed point of Conceicao’s side, while waiting for Rafael Leao to return to being fully fit.

In fact, the Spaniard has been a starter for five consecutive matches. It must be said that during the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final and final he did not fully satisfy the new coach. Against Juventus he was not happy with how he didn’t attack the space in behind, while versus Inter he made an error before a goal.

Nevertheless, the former Porto coach decided to focus on him and in fact re-propose a tactical move that Fonseca had used in his last matches: using Jimenez as an attacking winger who is also useful defensively.

The teenager was deployed on the right in the final and acted as such in the possession phase, while in the non-possession phase he dropped back to form a defensive line of five that allowed Milan to defend all the vertical corridors of the pitch, favouring high pressing.

It must also be noted that the former Real Madrid man was battling a fever while out in Saudi Arabia, which possibly forced him to come off in the second half of the semi-final.