GdS: Leao provides clinical touch as Milan send strong signal to Scudetto rivals

Despite a subpar performance, at least in the first half, Milan managed to send an important signal to their rivals with the win against Cagliari. And now they have the entire weekend to relish top spot in the standings. 

The opportunity to start the year, as highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo at the bottom), was a true test of Milan’s solidity and efficiency. From Sardinia, therefore, the Rossoneri sent a pretty important signal to their rivals after, once again, getting the job done.

It was a game that included a fair portion of ‘Allegrismo’, with far from brilliant play but decisive actions in the important moments. Subsequently, the troubles against lower-ranked teams are seemingly vanishing too: Milan collected 6/6 points against Hellas Verona and Cagliari.

Genoa are up next for the Rossoneri, a team currently just outside of the relegation zone, so it will be another opportunity to prove they have overcome the aforementioned difficulties.

The protagonists

Leao, who returned after almost a month on the sidelines, wasn’t at his best physically and he also struggled with his back towards the goal. However, when he faced the goalkeeper, he fired away the decisive blow early in the second half.

Interestingly, it was the 12th time in the league that Milan had scored with their first shot on target (!). It was also their 16th consecutive positive result, after the defeat against Cremonese in the opener, and they have never lost away from home. Furthermore, they have only conceded five goals on the road.

Milan’s No.10, with his 6th goal of the season, took the headlines as the only scorer but Adrien Rabiot was another key player (as we highlighted in our ratings too). He combined very well with his technique, getting the assist too, and worked hard for the entire game.

The defensive department shouldn’t be forgotten either, after some initial blunders, as they clinched their 9th clean sheet. Then we have the leadership of Luka Modric, who continues to amaze, and Niclas Füllkrug’s debut. He made a good impression, almost getting an assist for Piulisic, so he will come in handy.

Strong second half

As we have seen several times this season, Milan showed off their qualities in the second half of the game, both technically and in terms of character. Perhaps an Allegri-style strategy that works, even if against a stronger opponent, 15 minutes could have changed the course of the match.

Milan let Cagliari shoot three times in the first 130 seconds, and after a dozen minutes, the home side had four corners. That said, Fabio Pisacane’s side never really broke down the Rossoneri’s defence, with Koni De Winter becoming increasingly reliable.

Ultimately, Mike Maignan only had to save a header from Adopo after around 30 minutes. It was indeed Cagliari’s only shot on target. Then again, it’s not ideal for the Rossoneri to always rely on the final 45 minutes, even if they at least avoided a goal in the first.