AC Milan 3-1 Bologna: Five things we learned – game changers and team effort

Milan prevailed in the ‘rehearsal clash’ against Bologna on Friday evening, putting three goals past the Rossoblu defence. As always, we have picked out five things we learned from the performance. 

The first half was fairly even, with Bologna having more of the ball but creating nothing of significance in front of goal. Instead, it was Milan that had a few good chances to break the deadlock, but struggled to find the final touch.

Then, in the second half, Riccardo Orsolini managed to score a lovely goal from outside of the box, giving Bologna the lead early on. Conceicao reacted fairly quickly following the opener, bringing on Santiago Gimenez and Samuel Chukwueze around the 65th minute, and the duo completely changed the game around.

Gimenez scored the equaliser, Pulisic bagged the winner and then the Mexican completed the goalscoring. And all three goals, well, they involved Chukwueze. Below are five things we learned from the game…

1. Defence continues to be stable

It was never going to be an easy game against a Bologna side who have proven to play good football throughout the season. Not to mention that they are still fighting for a spot in the Champions League next season.

However, Milan’s defence did really well for yet another game as it seems that Conceicao has finally found the solution at the back, i.e. moving to the three-man backline.

Truthfully, this time around not everybody was on the needed level, with Pavlovic being a bit sloppy on the ball and he was also beaten on Orsolini’s goal. It was a hard goal to defend if we’re being honest, and the Serbian at least did enough not to allow more goals in his net.

Matteo Gabbia, meanwhile, did really well in the middle as he was the most solid defender out of the bunch, continuing to prove he’s pivotal for the backline.

Overall, despite no major standouts, it seems the team has found the balance and compactness as they simply don’t give much space to the opposition. Orsolini’s goal was individual brilliance more than anything and that, as we know, is hard to defend against.

2. Magic Mike saving the day

The Frenchman did what was needed from him and saved all the shots towards his goal, except for the Orsolini strike which, like we saw, was really good.

Towards the end of the game, he made a crucial save to prevent a second goal for Bologna, and he actually provided a lovely pass to Chukwueze just before the second goal.

Overall, the keeper was very solid overall and continued his good run of form, proving just how impactful he can be when he’s at his very best. Something that was missing earlier in the season and was felt heavily on the pitch.

3. Midfield duo does well enough

Conceicao decided to field Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Reijnders in the midfield, given the injuries, and it was a solution that worked well enough.

Both players had their ups and downs, but in the end, they did help Milan control the midfield and move the ball around well. The Englishman used his size well, winning quite a few duels and didn’t make any unforced errors, which was exactly what was needed of him.

Reijnders also did well, keeping it simple and moving the ball forward when needed. We have seen him be more active but with this formation, he needs to stay a bit further down the pitch which prevents him from being in more dangerous positions.

4. Pulisic and Joao Felix take over in Leao’s absence

It was always going to be tough without Leao, as the Portuguese winger is a reference point for the Rossoneri’s attack, but Joao Felix and Pulisic were up for the challenge.

Joao Felix did well throughout the game as he showed confidence in possession and used his technique smartly, not losing the ball in a sloppy manner. He also found himself in dangerous positions.

While one could argue he needs to work more on his finishing and decision-making, he did set up Chukwueze on the first goal and was involved in the second goal too, so overall his impact was felt.

Pulisic started a bit slow, but in the second half, he picked up the pace with an assist for the equaliser and then he scored the second goal to give his side the lead. He now has 11 league goals this season and is approaching a personal best (13 would be a new record).

5. Game changers

Pulisic and Joao Felix weren’t the only ones causing trouble for Bologna. Chukwueze and Gimenez came on around the 65th minute, and as we mentioned already, they were pivotal for the comeback.

The Mexican scored twice and both were really good goals, which will surely give him a confidence boost as he has struggled a bit as of late. He positioned himself well on both goals, kept his cool and finished the chances calmly. Hopefully, this is a preview of what awaits next season.

Chukwueze certainly wasn’t bad either, making a lovely run on the first goal and squaring the ball to Pulisic (with a bit of luck), who then assisted Gimenez. On the second goal, Chukwueze beat his man with finesse and crossed it towards Joao Felix, while it was a lovely assist from him on the third.

The impact from both was evident, in other words, and it seems that Conceicao will have plenty of cards to draw from going into the final.