There was a moment in Monday’s game against Salernitana where Mike Maignan forgot he was a goalkeeper and turned into one of the iconic AC Milan defenders of old.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport recall Maignan’s intervention on Boulaye Dia when a mix-up between Pierre Kalulu and Malick Thiaw saw the Senegalese forward dash through on goal, but the Frenchman darted off his line and thwarted him with a tackle Franco Baresi would be proud of.
It was a calculated risk that drew applause from the crowd and it was part of a night for Maignan that was among the more positive in the Milan squad. He had six successful long passes, the same amount as Tomori and Bennacer, showing his quality in the distribution phase too.
Against Atalanta he returned after five months out and his importance to Milan is fundamental as a leader, a sweeper-keepers an area commander and a playmaker. The intervention on Dia shows that he studies opponents too: many would stay rooted to their line in that situation but he knew the only way to prevent maximum danger was to make sure he never got in on goal.
