After two consecutive losses to open their Champions League campaign, AC Milan had no room for error against Club Brugge as wins against the weaker sides are required to boost qualification hopes.
The Belgian champions started the game off as the better side, however, and created a couple of chances early on that Mike Maignan was required to thwart. Christian Pulisic added to his tally scoring directly from a corner in the 34th minute though to calm the home crowd.
Brugge were then awarded a red card a few minutes later as Raphael Onyedika stamped on Tijjani Reijnders, and the expectations were that Milan would have no trouble seeing the game out. However, the visitors equalised in the 51st minute, and probably deserved it.
Things improved after Paulo Fonseca made changes, with Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze both setting up Reijnders not long after coming on. Finally, Francesco Camarda came on for a record-breaking debut and VAR denied him a historic goal. Below are five observations from the game itself.
1. The eagle swoops
As we mentioned above, the Belgian champions actually started the game better and created some good chances particularly through the summer signing Tzolis, but Maignan once again proved his worth and denied everything that came his way.
The Frenchman delivered yet another brilliant performance where he kept his team in the game when it mattered and led the backline well, as well as contributing in easing the pressure in the build-up phase with good foot work as he did against Udinese.
Maignan seems to have found the continuity he didn’t quite find last season and is a game changer in between the sticks for the Rossoneri. According to Sofascore he made four saves, one high claim, completed 30 out of 30 passes, plus four out of four long balls attempted.
2. Unparalleled form
Pulisic was again impactful as he scored the first goal of the game, albeit with a bit of luck, and then continued to work hard in both phases of the game. That being said, there is arguably an element of reward for consistently putting set pieces into good areas, and it came with the Olimpico goal.
On the second goal his movement opened up just enough space for Reijnders who gave Milan the lead, and with the American shifting towards the middle after Chukwueze was subbed on we saw him being even more effective as he is more direct than Ruben Loftus-Cheek and makes better runs.
Pulisic being played in a more central role also did wonders for Chukwueze who thrived down that right flank and opposite to the American is more direct in terms of taking on his man with pace and bursting into the box.
Overall it was a great game by the American, who continues to get his name on the scoresheet no matter what role he plays in, and the changes made will certainly give the coach some food for thought moving forward.
3. Left side story
Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez have already had quite a few ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, and it’s only October. Against Brugge the expectations were that goals were going to be coming from the left flank but the reality was more frustrating.
It must be said that Leao had far from a bad performance, and Seys on Brugge’s right side really struggled to deal with him. The Portuguese completed nine dribbles in the game, and yet when asked to pick his head up to make sure some end product game from good positions, it never did.
In contrast to Leao, Theo did his job well defensively – barring for the equaliser where he looked a little bit at sea – and he covered the flank well in terms of his work rate. Again, though, the impression is that he just is not out of first gear yet and that he can do much more, especially after sitting out against Udinese.
Whether it is a symptom of Milan becoming less reliant on the left side in general – something that could be seen as a positive – is open to debate, but ‘Theao’ remain the two best players in the side and they need to show it more often. At present, they are in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
4. Super subs
Fonseca, to his credit, is proving time and time again that he’s not afraid of taking off his stars and he did so again as he subbed off Leao after the equaliser in favour of Okafor, whilst he also brought Chukwueze on for Loftus-Cheek.
The initial reaction from the fans was probably to question that decision since Leao, after all, had some nice runs in the first half, but all the question were answered within a minute of the substitution when Okafor burst past his man and provided an assist.
The Swiss forward brought the intensity that was lacking but also the directness and above all the composure to pick his head up and find a man inside the box. That resulted in a goal in no time, so kudos have to go to Fonseca for the timely change.
If that change was good, Chukwueze’s was even better with the Nigerian providing a near-identical assist for Reijnders from the opposite flank after an even better run. The temptation has to be there to try Chukwueze-Pulisic-Okafor.
5. The glove fits
Reijnders started off a bit slow but then grew into the game. He was mostly on defensive duties during the first half but after the red card he involved himself more and more in the attacking phase, something we’ve seen him do time and time again for both Milan and the Dutch national team.
As expected he found himself in very good positions, grabbing two goals and helping his side win the game. It begs the question regarding why Loftus-Cheek wasn’t moved back into the double pivot with Youssouf Fofana to allow the former AZ Alkmaar man to go forward with more freedom.
The two goals against Club Brugge already represent half of the tally achieved last season, which was four goals. It should also be noted that last year in situations very similar to those of yesterday’s two goals, Reijnders wasted opportunities either due to a lack of conviction or precision.
Given that he has become nearly the complete package and an undroppable player for both Stefano Pioli and now Fonseca, adding more goals to his armoury would be that final step needed.
1. Reijnders shouldn’t not play as an AM again but rather as a double-pivot or mezzala. Whatever he does, he does it better when he’s deeper.
2. Loftus-Cheek shouldn’t play in the double pivot again. As a matter of fact, he shouldn’t start a game.
3. Camarda should play a bit more often witht he first team if the score allows it.
4. Leao should work on his passing, shooting, mental toughness and his attitude.
5. Even though it was again a team that shouldn’t have given us so much trouble, we’re starting to look like a team that can rely on collective play rather than individuals. It doesn’t mean we’re much better though, just that we changed a bit.
“4. Leao should work on his passing, shooting, mental toughness and his attitude.”
3 of the 4 things that you say that Leao should work on are something that is learned when you first start playing football.
Are you saying that Leao lacks the basics of football?
You can also add ability to read the game, tracking back, understand spacing, timing and movement, especially off the ball. On Milan 2nd goal, Pulisic hard run down the middle of the Brugge’s defense created space for Reijnders to score. You never see Leao doing those moves because as anyone that understand football has always said HE DOESN’T MOVE WITHOUT THE BALL.
Leao is basically nothing more than a track runner.
His fans are obsessed with meaningless stats like dribbling that 99% of the time end up with a pass to nobody because he doesn’t lift his head up to see who is he passing to, a cross 20 feet over everyone’s head or a shot in the 2nd tier of the stadium.
I forgot to mention defending and tracking back, my bad.
All of those things you learn indeed when you start playing football but a player should always aim to improve. Messi’s passing improved throughout the years and Ronaldo’s finishing improved in Madrid, and these were already GOATED players. I’m not gonna be so harsh to say Leao’s passing and shooting are trash, but they left a lot to be desired.
Side note: I’m currently watching Barcelona-Bayern and I think Yamal is already a better player than Leao.
Yamal is a phenomenon.
How about Raphinha?
He literally plays in Leao’s position even though he is a natural RW since he is left footed. He’s got 5g,5a in Spanish league and another 4g,1 assists in UCL this season. He just scored hat trick.
Meanwhile our left winger got total of 3 goals in 4 years in the UCL in his career and 1 goal in 3 months this season. But Hey, he has the most dribbles in a game. That’s more important than goals.
Wow. Damn that was spot on!
On Reijnders, I don’t really go in for positions, but characteristics.
Basically a midfield (with however many of players you want to play) needs a tackler and a passer, a sitter and a runner.
In fairness to Reijnders he can be the passer and runner but since he’s arrived at Milan he’s never had a sitter or tackler next to him (except for his brief overlap with Krunic).
Last season he had to play alongside Adli (which was never going to work), and Musah.
This season he has Fofana. Fofana is not a sitter but he can tackle (sort of, he’s lost a few 50:50s).
There’s a universe where Fofana and Reijnders work as a combo but it really depends on:
– Fofana sitting and winning tackles;
– Reijnders making better runs and use of the ball;
– either wingers or another midfielder providing extra cover for the defence.
Saying Theo did his job when he was completely lost and out of position on the goal is a bit strange. He wasn’t where he should be per usual, and was actually marking the same man as Tomori while leaving the man he should’ve been marking wide open. You can’t have one of your backline always out of position, it just leaves the rest of your defenders scrambling to cover for him. Add to that Tomori being furthur up the pitch than he should be often times and you get the defensive struggles that Milan has had. I was watching Theo and if you didn’t know he was a LB there is no way to actually tell that by watching him on the pitch. Half the game he is higher up the pitch than our forwards. He was also all the way over on the right side on several occasions. There is no way to keep a solid backline like this. The occasional wonder goals he scores does not make up for constant problems in our backline he creates. Not to mention his arrogant, selfish attitude and the poor example he sets for the other players. Why Fonseca would make him Captain again is beyond me.
Your comment is the reason why I think we should work on getting a good LB, not just a deputy, someone who can give Theo a cold sweat.
Theo is our best player. His character was always questionable in that Madrid even got rid of him easily, but he’s done great here. I expect him to return to be our best player soon.
Unrelated – It is the first time in a while that we’ve had 4 really good players – Maignan, Leo, Theo and now Pulisic. Hope they all get to play well at the same time.
Agreed.
Those 4 players are our only truly next level players.
It’s madness to even be considering unsettling them let alone selling them.
The fact is we won the Scudetto (with 12 clean sheets in our last 19 games) and made it to the semi-finals of the champions league (with 3 clean sheets in 4 knock out matches against Tottenham and Napoli) with Tomori and Theo (and Calabria and Leao and all the other players we’ve given up on).
Theo has always been Theo. A winger basically playing LB.
He’s not changed. We’ve changed.
We changed when we dismantled the midfield that had played a crucial role in the above including in keeping clean sheets, and when we unbalanced the side by signing more attacking right sided players.
Pulisic on balance was a great signing (best since Ibra) but we should’ve made him our new, better Brahim and kept Saelemaekers.
We’ve now really gone the whole hog with Emerson Royal.
Now both sides can’t defend, and we have very little cover in the middle (with even Fofana struggling to do the job of a proper DM).
How is this any way to set up a team?
Most notable
Stop with the Saleamakers nonsense. We couldn’t wait to get rid of him.. Bologna didn’t want to keep him either.