AC Milan went to Genoa knowing that they needed to win in their biggest game of the season so far. That mission was accomplished.
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The first half did not really go to plan as Genoa dominated the ball and the territory. However, in the second half Milan took the ascendancy, and they went ahead Christopher Nkunku earned a penalty after a foul by the goalkeeper which he then scored.
Later in the half, Zachary Athekame fired in a low shot from Christian Pulisic’s lay-off to double the advantage and put the Rossoneri in firm command. Naturally, a late goal from Vasquez made it a very nervy finish, but they withstood the late pressure to secure a massive win.
Roma, Napoli and Como all won, but Juventus lost at home to Fiorentina, which means that Milan jump back into third. Going into the final game a win is still needed against Cagliari, though the game at the Marassi calms things down. Ivan Stoev has five things we learned.
1. Much better at the back
Milan’s recent defensive record had been woeful to say the least, and against Genoa Allegri’s men finally showed the solidity we got used to in the first half of the season.
Admittedly it wasn’t as dominant of a performance as the coach would have liked, but barring a couple of mistakes – and the goal that could have been avoided – Milan fared well at the back with Strahinja Pavlovic, Athekame and Davide Bartesaghi having solid displays in particular.
Gabbia also played a good game, but both he and Koni De Winter should have done better to clear the danger before Vasquez poked it in. The Italian was much better than Fikayo Tomori, however, with the Englishman being very rash on a few occasions and failed to contribute on the ball too.
2. Lacklustre midfield performance
It was always going to be hard with Luka Modric not in the starting XI, yet the hope was that Ardon Jashari could begin to show why Milan paid such a high price for his services.
Both the Swiss international and Youssouf Fofana struggles quite a bit in the middle of the park to get control of the ball and slow things down. In the first half Adrien Rabiot was the only player to try affect the game, yet he too was sloppy at times as well.
It’s clear at this point that quality needs to be brought in the department in the upcoming transfer market, especially given that the club should not expect Modric to contribute as much next season ( if he were to stay) give his age.
Rabiot seems like the only player that has his spot sealed for the upcoming season and the midfield should really be built around him. Jashari pledged to give more in his post-match interview once he has rhythm, and he could potentially learn a thing or two from Morten Frendrup’s performance(s).
3. To the rescue, again
We mentioned last week that the Frenchman has been improving and that it might not be so crazy to give him another year at the club with better players around him. He continued to make the case for himself against Genoa too.
Although not a flashy performance in the opening exchanges, he did well in the limited chances he had. Whilst his goal came from a penalty he won the spot kick himself after being aware enough to make the most out of a Genoa mistake at the back.
His 100% success rate from the spot (five out of five converted) for the Rossoneri also continues and he seems to have hit somewhat of a form in the exactly right moment to help his side seal the much desired Champions League return.
While Nkunku remains one of the leading candidates to be sold by Milan in the summer, in the media’s eyes at least, there may just be growing temptation to consider another year with Massimiliano Allegri, or what the potential new coach/sporting director think. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to understand Serie A as a second striker – ask Ante Rebic.
4. Zach Attack
Athekame has been somewhat of a mysterious wild card since joining the club last summer, yet he seems to have grown over time. He currently offers more than Alexis Saelemaekers and maybe Milan will have one less position to worry about in the summer.
The wing-back did well in both phases generally. There was one moment where he was a bit shaky as he allowed Vitinha to ghost in at the far post, though that was arguably the fault of those around him too.
After that it was much better and the goal came in at a crucial moment where Milan really needed to double their lead to calm things down. The strike was absolutely gorgeous with his weak foot nonetheless. Genoa then got a goal back which further proved how vital that second one was.
5. Time for a farewell?
Santiago Gimenez got to start the game alongside Nkunku, but we can barely remember a moment in the game where he did anything meaningful with the ball. Playing with back to goal is not his strength, yet every time it came into him he pinged it backwards at the first opportunity.
The Mexican has been struggling with injuries since his arrival, though it’s also fair to say that every time he has gotten the chance to start and rack up playing minutes he’s done absolutely nothing with it.
It looks like he’s going to finish this season with zero goals in the league and on top of that it is well known that the Diavolo are planning to invest heavily in a new striker this summer. So, at the moment, it just doesn’t feel like a good fit.
That being said It’s increasingly likely that the game against Cagliari at the San Siro may well be his last and he seems like the first choice player to sell in the summer from the attacking department.