There were two attacking players who stood out above all during AC Milan’s friendly loss against Arsenal yesterday, a report has claimed.
The first friendly in Dubai ended in defeat with the Premier League side emerging 2-1 victors, but Stefano Pioli received good responses from perhaps the two players with the most to prove going into the game, namely Yacine Adli and Divock Origi.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) reports this morning, Origi had two great chances to score, but lacked a little luck and a little precision in hitting the woodwork twice. He created the first one himself with a spin that was Giroud-esque outside the area, with the ball hitting the crossbar.
On the other hand, a beautiful cross from right wing by Adli for the second chance should have perhaps been buried, as the Belgian rose for a header all alone in the penalty area and grazed the far post.
Positive signals also came from the former Bordeaux man who was one of the most involved in the first half. The young Frenchman showed confidence and quality, not hiding from the game and always trying to make things happen.
Adli also showed on the 2nd Arsenal goal why Pioli doesn’t play him.
Yes that was a bad and dangerous pass by Tatarusanu, but Adli lacked awareness and urgency in his reaction allowing the Arsenal player to get to the ball 1st,even though Adli was slightly ahead of him when the ball was passed
The same way CdK, Brahim and Krunic have shown why Pioli plays them. Imagine this was a champions league final and Brahim played that kind of penalty. So lackadaisical and nonchalant.How do you watch the replay and say Adli had a better chance of getting that pass than the arsenal player? Overall the lad was good but still you’re looking for tiny bits of peccadilloes to pick on. Cut him some slack would ya.
Small things to pick on?
His slow reaction led to a goal for the other team.
Watch the replay.
He probably does the same thing in training, and that’s why Pioli doesn’t play him.
Krunic doesn’t have the skills but he rarely makes mistakes with his positioning and reaction.
Everyone misses penalties.
And CDK plays because of how much money Maldini spent on him, they have to justified.
Bro first of all I want you to think about a player who has to change the direction of his motion and a player who has no need to change the direction of his motion because the ball is already coming towards him. Who do you think will react faster? The best case scenario was that Adli would’ve had to foul that player if Milan ever had a chance of preventing that goal. Why do you think a defender who’s closer to his keeper still gets beaten to the ball by players like Mbappe when a through ball is launched? The defender has to change his direction first of all before he starts to accelerate again whereas Mbappe only has to accelerate to get the ball. There’s no way Adli would’ve gotten to that ball first – knowing that he had to change direction first – before the Arsenal player unless he stuck out a foot and fouled the player. And as for Krunic not making mistakes, I’ll leave that to your interpretation of what a mistake is especially as its related to positioning and reaction. Yes everyone misses penalties but if you’re going to miss then please don’t make it look like you’ve been paid to miss. Krunic’s penalty is forgivable as it at least had some power to it but Brahim,, oh please!
I like that you’re honest that CdK is only playing because he’s expensive but I’d like Pioli to show the same resolve he showed when he benched Paqueta in spite of the amount paid for him.
CDK has been benched just like Paqueta.
He isn’t a starter .
As for Adli. Every time I have watched him, he always looks like he runs in quicksand.
He is skilled on the ball, but he lacks quickness and especially lacks awareness of what’s going on around him. Yes, if he couldn’t get to that ball, he should have fouled. It is better to take a foul and even a yellow card than give up a goal.
But he hasn’t been benched to the point of not playing anymore. The coach still gives him ample time to play even if not as a starter. Adli isn’t the quickest player I admit but it’s like asking Peter Crouch to run like Mbappe or Haaland just because he has long legs. I’ve also never implied in any way that Adli is the finished product. All I’m saying is that he deserves a chance just like the others are getting and by chance I don’t mean bringing him on with 5 minutes left to play. As for fouling a player, you’d also have wanted him to trust his team mates to get the ball rather than getting a red card and putting the team at a numerical disadvantage. I think we have better opinions in hindsight not in foresight.