AC Milan 2-1 Spezia: Five things we learned – excellence and question marks

By Isak Möller -

AC Milan clinched three hugely important points in their game against Spezia last night. It was far from easy, but Olivier Giroud managed to score the winner in the 89th minute and the good vibes thus remain. 

No one expected fireworks after the 4-0 against Salzburg, yet that is exactly what we could have seen in this game. However, due to several factors (some touched upon below), it ended up being a tough clash but Milan eventually won 2-1-

Giroud was the big hero and with just two games remaining before the World Cup break, Milan need all the points they can get. Down below are five things we learned from the Rossoneri’s win against Spezia…

1. Giroud proves his excellence (again)

The big man for the big moments. As if the brace and two assists mid-week weren’t enough, Giroud was the hero once again with a stunning acrobatic finish. His quality and above all importance is undeniable at this point.

It’s a shame that he got sent off for what was a silly (to say the least) second yellow card. For what it’s worth, the first one was rather cheap and Giroud knows he made a big mistake. At least Divock Origi will get another chance on Tuesday evening.

2. Milan still lacking composure

As alluded to in the first paragraphs, it could have been a much easier evening for Milan with a bit more composure. In the first half alone the Rossoneri could have scored three goals, with several very good opportunities.

They hit the woodwork twice and Rade Krunic also had a goal saved on the line, but there were also other situations in which the final touch was lacking (such as Fikayo Tomori’s chance). In short, Milan played really well to create the chances and it was a shame that they only converted two of them.

3. Roller coaster continues for Tatarusanu

After a great display in the Champions League against Salzburg, Tatarusanu was humbled yet again as it was a rather insecure performance from him against Spezia. The distribution was nowhere near as spot on and he nearly made a fatal mistake (the Spezia man somehow missed).

He couldn’t do much about the goal, one must admit, but the feeling is that he didn’t command the defence in the same way. Again, there is a separate discussion regarding how much we should expect from Milan’s second choice, but the feeling is it should be a bit more than yesterday’s efforts.

4. De Ketelaere still needs time

The Belgian came off the bench in the 72nd minute and while he wasn’t in possession that much (which, to be fair, is part of the problem), we didn’t really see that much of him. A guy of his size could have helped a lot inside the box, but we saw little of that.

He did, in fairness, show off some nice skills but he was also ‘bullied’ off the ball too many times in a crucial period of the game. He still needs time, that’s clear, and one must admit yesterday’s game perhaps wasn’t the best to fairly judge him as it was rather scrappy in the end from both sides.

5. Theo has found his groove 

We spared no criticism for him after his non-existent performance against Torino but he has responded in the best way possible since. The game against Salzburg was really good, running up and down, and it was the same yesterday.

It was a well-taken goal and those runs are so good for Milan, especially when you have someone like Ismael Bennacer in the midfield. A team that sits back, like Spezia, cannot even defend that and this is crucial for Milan.

He will miss out against Cremonese due to a suspension but we can only hope that he will end the first half of the season with a bang against Fiorentina. Then, it will be interesting to follow him in the World Cup.

Tags AC Milan Oliver Giroud Spezia
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