Tijjani Reijnders arrived as a bit of an unknown quantity during the summer transfer window, but he has quickly become on of Stefano Pioli’s crucial men.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recalls that Reijnders played 54 out of 54 games for AZ Alkmaar last season and so far in the current campaign he has played in all eight league matches for Milan.
Added to the collection is the trip to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, where under the yellow wall Reijnders played as a regista and ended as an attacking midfielder.
The Dutchman shakes up matches in whatever corner of the pitch he moves, which is why Pioli never gives up on him and he won’t do so next Sunday either, given he will definitely start against Juventus.
Reijnders will return to training at Milanello tomorrow as Pioli has given him a day of rest compared to the original program. It is all absolutely logical, because during the break Tijjani continued to play – from the first to the last minute – even with the.
Ronald Koeman didn’t use him until a few months ago but now he has become a key fixture in the Oranje side two, particularly for their last two outings against France and Greece.
The Dutch press believe that Reijnders was among the best in the match won in Athens the other evening. It’s a virtuous circle: Reijnders is good for Milan and Milan is good for him, who thanks to his super start to the season with the Rossoneri has climbed positions in the national team.
The only occasion in which Reijnders started a game on the bench – for an hour, then Pioli sent him onto the pitch – dates back to Milan-Newcastle on 19 September. Not just any match: it was the first outing after the derby defeat.
Reijnders, against Inter, ‘looked like Superman with kryptonite in his pocket’ as per the paper, given he was weakened from every point of view. It would have been easy to go into a shell, but from that defeat the former AZ man came back stronger, just like Milan who climbed up to first place alone.
If you’re looking for a poster boy of this indestructible Rossoneri side, Tijjani’s is perfect as he told Mediaset: “Losing 5-1 was bad, but we had a good reaction and now we are at the top. We are a team full of quality.
“What we want is to win the Scudetto and yes, also the Champions League. We have three difficult games, but I’m confident, we’re in a good moment, we can win them.”
Wherever he plays, Reijnders wants to impact the rhythm of the game. Often starting from the centre-left, the No.14 communicates with Leao and Theo and often becomes unreadable for the opponents, moving centrally or attacking the space in behind, as seen for Giroud’s goal in Bologna.
Pioli said he expects ‘a few goals’ from Reijnders, but he is already very satisfied: in just a few months Reijnders has changed Milan.
He play full match in AZ . This dude seems have very strong stamina and can avoid injury
Man these guys really really love Reinjders.