Following the international break, AC Milan headed to Florence to face a Fiorentina side who needed to win to keep themselves close to the European spots. Given the Rossoneri also have a lot to play for, the game was a cagey affair.
Milan came into the game filled with confidence after their recent form, having won their last three Serie A games and blowing past Slavia Praha in the Europa League, and the demands were for that form to continue.
The first half had sporadic moments of quality but lacked goals, mainly because of the excellent work of Mike Maignan and Pietro Terracciano.
In the second half, however, things escalated rather quickly, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring in the 47th minute. However, that didn’t last long as Fiorentina equalised three minutes later through Alfred Duncan.
Fortunately for Pioli, his players reacted similarly, as they regained the lead in the 53rd minute after a lovely run and finish by Rafael Leao – adding to a display of the Portuguese winger at his best.
Expectedly, the game gradually calmed after a hectic eight minutes, and whilst both teams had chances, neither side took them – which again can be accredited to the work of both goalkeepers.
You can read our full match report here, and with that in mind, here are five observations we took from the game.
1. Picking up where he left off
The Portuguese winger finally found consistency before the international break after a season full of ups and downs, and this trend continued through the international break as he picked up a goal for his nation. To the Rossoneri’s delight, this form has continued further as we can see Leao near his best again.
Leao potentially looked a bit sluggish at times, but he ended the game with a fantastic assist and an even better goal. That is without mentioning that he easily could have had another assist (or two) if Olivier Giroud had finished the chances presented to him.
The 24-year-old led his side to all three points, which we have seen all too many times before, and he will now hope to continue in the same fashion in the Europa League, where the Rossoneri have a chance to win the competition for the first time.
2. Positive signs from the start
Saturday night was a display from Samuel Chukwueze that the management and the fans expected when he arrived in the summer, as we saw the Nigerian impress consistently throughout the time he was on the pitch.
Perhaps he should have gotten an assist at the very least, but he also was a victim of Giroud’s poor performance. Additionally, he had a few good chances himself but, much to his annoyance, he was denied by La Viola’s goalkeeper.
Whilst the performance might have come later than anticipated in the season, it provides a solid platform for the Nigerian winger to build upon, and it will be hoped he can continue to impress in the upcoming games and beyond.
3. Midfield duo impress
It is worth noting that Ismael Bennacer had a better performance in this game than in his prior appearance. However, we want to highlight the performances of Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders.
The Englishman showcased his strengths again, playing in the advanced role which we have become accustomed to this season. He did well to win his duels during the game, and he carried the ball exceptionally, which was fundamental for Milan to take advantage in the middle. The cherry on top, though, is his goal. He was at the right place at the right time and opened up the evening’s scoring.
His partner in the middle – Reijnders – also did very well. Again, he showed his engine, as he was prominent at both ends of the pitch. The Dutchman looked calm on the ball, combined with his teammates well, and found empty spaces on several occasions – look no further than his assist to Leao.
Overall, a solid performance following an impressive display for the Netherlands during the international break.
4. Bailing out the defence
Milan only conceded once, but the hosts had plenty of opportunities to turn the game around. Calabria had a very solid performance, doing well defensively and often winning his duels. However, the same can’t be said for Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori and Alessandro Florenzi.
Thiaw was rather clumsy throughout the game, and Florenzi was shaky in the defensive phase. However, it is worth mentioning that for his defensive struggles, he made up for it when the side progressed. Unfortunately, Tomori was also shaky at times, which may be accredited to his recent return from injury, but it was certainly far from his best.
Fortunately for the trio, though, Maignan was exceptional. The Frenchman made several crucial saves to prevent the hosts from scoring on more than one occasion. This was noted in our player ratings, where he was deemed the Man of the Match.
5. Recognition praise
It is fair to say that this season, Stefano Pioli has had more criticism than praise, but he has steadied the ship as of late, and Milan have done well domestically and in Europe.
Against Fiorentina, they continued their upsurge in performances, and there were plenty of interesting tactical moments where the team looked very fluid. This could have been reflected in a more comfortable scoreline if Giroud didn’t have an off day.
Most of the issues on the evening were due to individual mistakes or a collective lack of focus, which can be addressed. Equally, though, this is something that the players are responsible for.
All in all, Pioli now must be praised for his squad’s impressive turn of form, which creates welcomed headaches regarding next season.
