2 weeks ago
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AC Milan went back top of the Serie A table by beating Fiorentina 2-1 at San Siro on Sunday night, but they were made to work hard for the win.
Milan went into the game battling an injury crisis with Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Christopher Nkunku, Pervis Estupinan, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ardon Jashari all out. This meant three changes from the draw with Juventus before the break, and only seven players on the bench (five outfield).
The Rossoneri missed a couple of big chances in the first half, then Robin Gosens stunned the over 70,000 home fans as he scored early in the second half for the away side, but it was time for the Rafael Leao show to take centre-stage.
Firstly, the Portuguese forward found the bottom corner from 25 yards out to level things, then Fabiano Parisi brought down Santiago Gimenez inside the box and Leao converted from 12 yards, sending David De Gea the wrong way to complete the comeback.
The result means that Milan go back top of the summit after seven games, and it condemns Fiorentina to another round in the bottom three. What did we learn from the contest?
1. Defensive form continues
Milan have been superb at the back since the start of the season, with Roma the only team having conceded less (3) than the Rossoneri (4). Against Fiorentina, the Rossoneri didn’t manage to keep the clean sheet, sadly. But the goal was rather unlucky, with some unfortunate ricochets and a lack of communication.
Aside from that moment, Allegri’s men neutralised Fiorentina well, with Matteo Gabbia commanding the backline and Strahinja Pavlovic winning quite a few aerial duels. Luka Modric was another crucial player in the defensive performance, with his work rates making sure the Diavolo closed the game out.
Overall, it was yet another assertive performance at the back, and it seems that Allegri has found the answers that both Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao couldn’t find last season.
2. Leao steps up in Pulisic’s absence
The American was in red-hot form but picked up an injury during the international break, which was definitely worrying given that Leao and Nkunku are yet to be fully fit, whilst Santiago Gimenez hasn’t exactly hit the ground running this season either.
Fortunately for Allegri, Leao was up for the challenge, and after a shaky first half, he picked up the pace in the second half.
Following Fiorentina’s goal, the Portuguese fired a nice shot from long range that ended up in the back of the net to bring the score level. After that, the striker converted a penalty won by Gimenez to round off the comeback.
It’s definitely refreshing to see him making an impact again, especially after the two misses against Juventus a couple of weeks ago. The expectations will be high now that he seems fit enough to start the games.
3. Bartesaghi impresses
The Italian has been getting more minutes this season and is improving with each game, it seems, and he delivered another solid defensive performance against Fiorentina.
Aside from the defensive work rate, he is also improving in attack. The few crosses he launched into the penalty box were impressive; one of them found Gimenez, who was denied by De Gea, showing that he can do well in both aspects of the game.
The 19-year-old is gaining confidence fast and is probably more solid at the back compared to Estupinan, whilst he is also starting to become braver going forward too.
That being said, it won’t be a surprise if he manages to steal the starting spot from the Ecuadorian, who has been rather shaky, to say the least. Bartesaghi is making the most out of the situation, indeed.
4. Modric shines, Ricci picks up the pace
We mention Modric every week at this stage, but that’s only because he continues to impress week after week with his work rates and commanding performances.
Against Fiorentina, he was again pivotal in the middle, and this time, he was more involved defensively, leaving Youssouf Fofana and Samuele Ricci with more space to go forward. The Croat was full of energy in the defensive third, making it really hard for Fiorentina to create any chances, whilst his composure helped his side grab all three points in the end.
Then there’s Ricci, who finally got his start after Rabiot’s injury. He started the first half rather shakily, but he picked up the pace in the second half with better positioning and passing – he was the man to find Gimenez with a lovely outside-of-the-boot pass that resulted in the penalty kick.
Definitely some encouraging signs by the Italian, who will have time to improve whilst Rabiot is out of action.
5. Impact of the bench
The feeling was that Gimenez needed to come on at half-time, with Alexis Saelemaekers struggling to play behind Leao. However, Allegri waited until the 57th minute and after Fiorentina’s opener to introduce the Mexican.
The game changed drastically with Gimenez on the pitch as Leao dropped behind and got on the ball more often, resulting in the lovely goal he scored to equalise. Then, Gimenez was unlucky not to score himself, but he did manage to win the penalty that Leao scored for the winner.
It was evident that the Rossoneri played better with a clear-cut striker, and Gimenez certainly worked hard to open up spaces for his teammates. He was also unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself.
Now, obviously, we like to judge the strikers by the goals they score, but let’s be crystal clear here – the Mexican has drastically improved since the start of the season and is making an impact on the pitch. All of this will eventually lead to a goal. For now, though, this will do, given he was almost as crucial for the win as was Leao, considering the Portuguese struggled before his introduction.
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