MN: Milan’s midfield options need an upturn in form – only Tonali has remained consistent

Although AC Milan now have numbers and depth for their double pivot, they are going through a difficult patch of form at the moment where only Sandro Tonali has looked dependable.

MilanNews recalls how Tiémoué Bakayoko and Ismael Bennacer got the nod yesterday in the defeat to Sassuolo as they are the alternatives to the two starters, Franck Kessie and Sandro Tonali. In terms of rotations, the choices made by Pioli are understandable given that the last two had played on Wednesday, but both the Frenchman and Algerian failed to step up.

In the first half Bakayoko’s giveaway led to Sassuolo’s equaliser and Bennacer put in a very untidy performance too. At the end of the first half Pioli brought Kessie on for Bakayoko, but the Ivorian then struggled to cope with Davide Frattesi, Maxime Lopez and Matheus Henrique, giving the ball away for the 3-1 goal.

Pioli brought Tonali on in place of Bennacer and the youngest of all the midfield options was the only one that held his own in the middle of the field. The opportunity for redemption comes the day after tomorrow at Genoa, but a change in the double pivot is needed.


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