AC Milan had three shots on target in their game against Frosinone and all three of them ended up in the back of the net. A successful night, in other words, boosted by the XI selection made by Stefano Pioli.
It was a crucial win for the Rossoneri, bouncing back from the Champions League disappointment mid-week. Luka Jovic got off the mark with his first goal, also assisting Fikato Tomori’s tap-in, and he was named the MOTM in our player ratings.
As reported by Corriere dello Sport this morning (via MilanNews), Pioli got his XI selection spot on for the game. Theo Hernandez at centre-back proved to be successful and Alessandro Florenzi – albeit not great in attack – contained Matías Soulé on the left.
Pioli trusted the experienced players and he was right to do so, not to mention his continuous support for Jovic in the last few weeks. Although Olivier Giroud will be back for the next game, having the Serbian in good form could be crucial for the rest of the season.
In addition to the selection, Milan showed signs of improvement above all in the attacking phase, scoring three goals with three shots on target. Given that the goalscoring has been an issue in many games this season, this was a big step forward.
Overall, it wasn’t a spectacular performance by Milan but this is certainly something to build on in the upcoming weeks. And with a few more players returning from injury, they can compete at the top again.
Nice to see Pioli getting credit. He has made poor/strange decisions this season but overall, his work has been positive. I think the team’s biggest problem has been the restructuring of the midfield where there is a noticeable dip in quality and balance. Bennacer’s return will help but I don’t think we will challenge for the Scudetto without one or two smart midfield signings in January.