Amorim Hails AC Milan’s Back-Four Switch After Lecce Victory

Ruben Amorim’s decision to move AC Milan to a back four brought an immediate return in Sunday’s 3-0 Serie A win over Lecce, with Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira scoring in a controlled performance. The coach said the change reflected lessons taken from his troubled Manchester United spell and a need to fit the system to the players available.

Key takeaways

• Milan’s win against Lecce kept them unbeaten through their opening five Serie A matches.
• Pulisic, Rabiot and Moreira supplied the goals in the 3-0 result.
• The Rossoneri are fifth, two points behind league leaders Roma.
• Amorim said his players showed greater attacking movement and freedom than in recent fixtures.
• Luka Modric’s role will be shaped by Milan’s ability to dominate possession rather than play solely in transition.

Amorim adapts after Manchester United experience

Amorim spent 14 difficult months at Manchester United, where his commitment to a three-man defence became a defining feature of his tenure. He won 24 of his 63 matches before being dismissed, and has now made clear that he will not allow a fixed formation to override the requirements of his Milan squad.

“I cannot make the same mistakes I made at Manchester,” Amorim said after the Lecce match. “If we do not have the right characteristics to play in a particular manner, then we must adjust.”

That adjustment gave Milan a more conventional defensive base against Lecce, while allowing greater movement ahead of the ball. Amorim was pleased with the way his side stretched the opposition and controlled the match.

He described it as an important victory, highlighting the team’s movement and depth in attack. Milan managed the contest well and interpreted Lecce’s approach effectively, he said, while also acknowledging that recent performances had become too rigid. The players were given more licence on Sunday after appearing static and constrained in previous games.

Three-man build-up remains an option

Although the Lecce result underlined the value of flexibility, Amorim has not entirely abandoned the principles that previously shaped his preferred structure. He expects Milan to use a three-player build-up again when conditions suit it, but suggested that Serie A opponents demand careful preparation.

Italian coaches, he noted, are particularly strong at pressing opponents man-to-man, making it essential for Milan to vary their construction and avoid becoming predictable.

Modric is central to that thinking. Amorim believes the veteran midfielder benefits when Milan can retain the ball for long periods, rather than relying on a match made up exclusively of transitions.

“With Modric, we need to keep possession for a long time,” Amorim said. “He is prepared to play every match we require, but if every game is only about transitions, that does not suit him.”

Milan’s unbeaten start has left them within sight of Roma at the summit after five rounds. Their next domestic matches will offer Amorim a further opportunity to develop the adaptable approach that delivered such a convincing response against Lecce.