1 week ago
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Koni De Winter’s adventure at AC Milan didn’t get off to a great start, but recently his performances have been resurgent.
After a spell with Genoa where he looked ready for a big move, MilanNews recall how De Winter struggled initially at Milan. He didn’t get many minutes, and in his rare starts he often made errors which impacted his playing time further.
In particular, the Supercoppa Italiana defeat against Napoli in Riyadh had only increased the doubts and criticism regarding his adaptation to his new club, despite the pressure on the bench from a coach who knows him well in Massimiliano Allegri.
Signs of growth
In the last few rounds in the league, something has changed. De Winter has been deployed more regularly, also due to the injuries first to Matteo Gabbia, then Strahinja Pavlovic, and the suspension of Fikayo Tomori. The result? He is showing greater balance and solidity compared to a few weeks ago.
In the away victory against Cagliari for example, the former Genoa man put in a convincing performance, with good defensive management and positional awareness. Even the most critical judges gave him a strong passing grade.
Even against Lecce on Sunday, De Winter carried out his task with great attention, contributing to the compactness of the department which managed to finish the match without conceding a single goal, also thanks to the fact the away side didn’t want to attack.
De Winter’s mental switch likely came in last Thursday’s match in Como, against Cesc Fabregas’ side, a match in which the defender played one of his best games for Milan if not his best. He played on the left of the three, and despite the strong pressure he managed to largely hold his ground.
After a turbulent period of adaptation, De Winter seems to have finally found his place. Who knows, perhaps this is precisely why Milan have decided not to pursue another central defender, at least for the time being.
English (US) ·