In the match, the obvious lack of chemistry between Ibrahimovic, Cassano, and Boateng was evident, as there were very few instances of successful cooperation among them. In the 4th minute, Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock, but the pass came not from the other two members of the trident but from the defender Papastathopoulos. In the 27th minute, the trident completed their first and only threatening combination in this match: Cassano made a direct pass to Ibrahimovic, who then broke into the penalty area on the left and faced the opposing goalkeeper Sirigu. The Swede selflessly chose to cross the ball to Boateng waiting in front of the goal, but the latter obviously did not anticipate such a selfless move by Ibrahimovic and failed to reach the ball, causing Milan to miss an excellent scoring opportunity.
Why has the Ibrahimovic-Cassano-Boateng combination performed so poorly? There are three reasons: First, neither Ibrahimovic nor Cassano have absolute speed, making it impossible to form effective counterattacks. Second, in terms of technical characteristics, both Ibrahimovic and Cassano like to control the ball under their feet and make passes for their teammates, creating some conflict in their respective strengths and preventing them from unleashing their full potential. Third, the trio hasn't played together much, which is also a reason for the lack of chemistry.
In this semi-final of the Italian Cup against Palermo, Ibrahimovic could play, but Pato was absent due to injury. Before the game, Allegri openly stated that Ibrahimovic would start, but regarding the other two positions in the trident, the Milan coach kept his cards close to his chest. Ultimately, in the starting lineup, the outstandingly performing Cassano from the previous league game outperformed Robinho and started as the second striker, while Boateng continued as the attacking midfielder, forming this match's Milan attacking trident with Ibrahimovic. The trio had not played together much before, making this combination relatively rare.
Compared to this combination, the Pato-Ibrahimovic-Boateng trident holds more advantages. The away 3-0 victory over Napoli was a masterpiece orchestrated by this trident. In this combination, Pato possesses remarkable speed, posing a threat during counterattacks. Additionally, Pato's scoring ability surpasses Cassano's, and the Brazilian needs Ibrahimovic to create opportunities for him. Given the current situation, the Ibrahimovic-Pato-Boateng trident should be considered the most suitable forward line for Milan. However, due to Pato's injury and Ibrahimovic's suspension, this combination will have to wait until the crucial match against Roma to reunite. Now, Allegri needs to consider what kind of forward line he should deploy in the next two league games without Ibrahimovic and Pato...
Due to Pato's injury absence, in the semi-final of the Italian Cup against Palermo, Allegri fielded the offensive trident of Ibrahimovic-Cassano-Boateng. During the game, the lack of chemistry among the three was apparent, making it almost impossible to execute successful combinations. Eventually, Ibrahimovic scored a goal through personal ability and provided an indirect assist, Boateng performed decently, while Cassano showed extreme depression. The main reasons for this combination's poor performance include lacking speed advantages, both preferring to hold and distribute the ball, and insufficient time spent playing together.
Recently, due to suspensions and injuries, Milan has been constantly changing its forward trident combinations. In Round 30 of Serie A, Seedorf-Pato-Cassano formed the trident, resulting in a defeat 0-1 against Palermo. In Round 31, the trident became Boateng-Pato-Robinho, and AC Milan won the derby 3-0. In Round 32, Ibrahimovic returned and formed a trident with Pato and Boateng, securing a 2-1 away win over Fiorentina. In the last round, Ibrahimovic was suspended again, and the trident reverted to the Pato-Boaten-Robinho combination. However, Pato was substituted by Cassano due to injury in the first half, and the substitute contributed significantly with one pass and one goal, helping the team secure a 3-0 victory.
In the 63rd minute, trailing in the score, Allegri substituted Cassano with Robinho, overturning his own starting decision. After Robinho's entry, Milan's offense still lacked improvement, and the equalizing goal came from Ibrahimovic's breakthrough leading to Emmanuelson's scoring, where the ball falling to the Dutchman's foot had some element of chance. Watching the team struggle to score and relying solely on Ibrahimovic's individual efforts, Allegri and all Milan fans might greatly miss Pato, who is absent due to injury. In the post-game ratings, Cassano received a low score of 5 points, with the comment stating "lack of chemistry with Ibrahimovic." Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic received the highest score of 6.5 points across the team, with the comment noting "received too little support from teammates."