AC Milan have started the league resumption in the best way possible. Following the 4-1 win against Lecce on Monday, they managed to secure yet another three points earlier this evening, beating fifth-placed Roma by a two-goal margin and thus decreasing the gap between the teams.
Due to the temperature in Milan, the first-half was very dull and slow as both sides failed to create chances, opting to sit back and save energy instead of powering forward on the counter-attacks. The Rossoneri changed their approach for the final 45 minutes, though, bringing on Lucas Paqueta and Alexis Saelemaekers quite early.
Along with Ante Rebic, the two worked very hard and this eventually paid off in the 76th minute, helping the Croatian to score the opener. Hakan Calhanoglu followed it up with a great penalty striker, securing the three points. Down below are the Rossoneri’s tops and flops of the game.
Tops
Ante Rebic: As Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still recovering from his injury, the Croatian continues to impress in his new role as Milan’s No.9. Unlike many of his teammates, he was actually willing to make several runs in the heat, chasing down every ball in both phases of the game.
The red card against Juventus certainly hasn’t had a negative effect on him. If anything, it has had the opposite. Once Ibrahimovic is back, we can expect to see him back on the left-wing but at least now we know that he’s more than capable to play as the sole centre-forward.
Simon Kjaer: The Danish international is going from strength to strength. At this point, the €3.5m buy-out clause seems like a no-brainer which the Rossoneri would be foolish to ignore. In today’s market, you won’t be able to find a centre-back with his qualities at the same price point.
Today, he continued to perform well alongside Alessio Romagnoli, pressing the opponents and winning the ball back on several occasions. He also tried his luck with a few longballs towards the attackers, showcasing an impressive passing ability which will come in handy for Milan.
Flops
Bonaventura: The veteran initially set out to prove himself during the season finale, as Milan have decided not to renew his contract. However, he has certainly failed to give the Rossoneri second thoughts, once again putting in a disappointing display as the trequartista behind Rebic.
He looks very sluggish and out of touch, not doing many things right. Pioli made the right decision by bringing on Paqueta instead as the Brazilian instantly was more involved in the play. Sure, he made some mistakes but at least he wasn’t a ghost during the game.
Castillejo: Perhaps a bit harsh, considering that he was subbed off quite early in the second half. However, I expected more from the Spaniard who usually adds that bit of flair to Milan’s attack. He made a few good runs but didn’t really have a big impact overall.
Furthermore, he could have done better in the defensive phase, failing to press the opponents on more than on occasion. Although Saelemaekers doesn’t possess the same quality, he did have a bigger impact on the game as he was able to offer some energy to Milan’s play.
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