1 week ago
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AC Milan drew against Roma at the weekend, and it has certainly left fans a little bit torn. Another nice result against a top team, but what if…
There can be no denying it, in the first 45 Milan were really poor. They created little to nothing and the front line was forced to feed off scraps. So, many were not confident as the half-time whistle blew.
However, the second half was much better for the Rossoneri, who managed to create some chances going forward. So, when they eventually took the lead against the run of play through Koni De Winter in the 62nd minute, it was not a complete shock.
Allegri then seemingly instructed his side to start sitting a bit deeper and soaking up the pressure which they have done successfully in other games and especially against top six sides.
This time around, it didn’t quite work out with Davide Bartesaghi giving away a penalty in the 74th minute, which Pellegrini converted.
The final results mean Milan now sit second, five points off city rivals Inter and four points clear of 3rd place Roma.
Here are five things we learned from the game:
1. De Winter’s uptrend continues
The Belgian had a tough start after joining in the summer transfer window, especially after the loss to Napoli in the Coppa Italia. Nevertheless, he has managed to rebound after that in a brilliant way.
Seemingly improving with every game – defensively solid and managing to use his strength really well as he limited Dybala as much as he could – he looked like the Rossoneri’s best defender on Sunday night, and this trend is only a good one.
On top of his quality display at the back, he also managed to give his side the lead, which unfortunately wasn’t enough for the three points. Still, it proves how good the Belgian can be and he still has plenty of room to grow, given he’s only 23 years of age.
2. Bartesaghi’s inexperience proving costly
Bartesaghi has had a very good season thus far and has ultimately cemented his spot in the Starting XI, with Estupinan struggling to seize his chances.
Against Roma, though, it’s fair to single him out as the reason for the Diavolo dropping two points. In a situation where his team had the lead, and Roma were struggling to create the dangerous chances they created in the first half, Milan had the perfect opportunity to close the game.
However, Bartesaghi’s lack of awareness just before the penalty resulted in the silly handball and the equaliser for the Giallorossi.
The reality is that the Italian underestimated the cross; he could’ve and should’ve jumped for the ball and cleared it for at least a corner kick. Instead, he did nothing and allowed Celik to play it in, and it unfortunately hit his hand for a penalty.
It’s a shame because other than that, the defender was having a great night with a couple of very impressive runs down the line that were Theo-esque. The penalty was what defined his performance in the end, though.
Roma dominated the first 45 minutes and some of it has to do with the fact that both Christopher Nkunku and Rafael Leao were ghosts on the pitch. They offered little to nothing, with both struggling to hold the ball and help their side calm the game down a bit.
Leao especially seemed really out of it and it’s unclear if he is still struggling with inflammation following his recent injury. Regardless, that shouldn’t have been an excuse and he has to be benched if that is the case with Niclas Fullkrug and Christian Pulisic ready to take his spot.
Speaking of which, Fullkrug and Pulisic came on after De Winter’s goal, replacing both Leao and Nkunku and it’s sad to say, but the duo had the exact same performance as their teammates. Both of them struggled to get onto the ball or connect with teammates as Milan had nothing to offer following Roma’s equaliser.
It’s surprising how both Leao and Pulisic were in form at the beginning of the season and have now been very poor in these last few weeks.
We won’t be too hard on Fullkrug and Nkuku since the duo has actually delivered goals and assists in the previous fixtures, and this was just not their night, it seemed.
4. Maignan saves the day, again
The Frenchman was tested right off the bat, and he reacted perfectly to everything Roma threw at him in the opening 45 minutes, helping his side stay level after an underwhelming performance, to say the least.
In the second half, he was tested less and he couldn’t really do much on the penalty. He was very close to saving it, but the shot had enough power to beat him.
Regardless, it was an excellent performance and Milan fans should be happy that the Frenchman has agreed to the terms of the renewal.
5. Was Allegri too cautious?
The coach has done wonders since the start of the feeling. But there’s an unshakable feeling that the Rossoneri dropped too deep too fast following the opening goal, inviting the pressure which eventually resulted in the equaliser.
This tactic has indeed worked wonders for Milan and Allegri this season, resulting in some huge wins. It’s also true that the team has dropped points against lesser sides where they should’ve gone for a second goal to kill the game off.
Now, obviously, continuing to attack after scoring against a Roma side that has the best defensive record in Serie A might not have been the best decision either.
Yet, the feeling is that a more balanced approach might have yielded different results, especially after the hosts were dominating the first half and Allegri saw how dangerous they could be. One would think that the coach would want to keep the opponents as far away from Maignan’s goal as possible.
Regardless, the equaliser was a silly mistake and a penalty in the end, so Allegri’s plan almost worked out, but given some other games where Milan have dropped points from a similar position, he might need to rethink his approach a bit.
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