AC Milan managed to build on their win against Inter as they prevailed over Lecce at San Siro on Friday evening. Theo Hernandez bagged a goal as well as an assist and below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri.
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out how we decide the player ratings. From the scale to what affects the rating, we have compiled everything there.
Starting XI
Maignan (6.5): The Frenchman didn’t have a whole lot to do this evening, or at least he wasn’t really given any big tests, but he made a couple of decent stops to keep Milan’s clean sheet intact. One very good save in the second half, even if it ended up being offside.
Emerson Royal (5.5): This is a tough one, as you could argue the Brazilian did enough to get a pass. Some good and bad moments in attack, but before the goals were scored Lecce – and above all Rebic – created a lot down the left-hand side and got past him too easily.
Gabbia (6): His positioning was very good throughout the game and he was calm in his actions, which is essential for a centre-back. A couple of nice long balls, but also some passes he could have executed better.
Tomori (6): The Englishman lost a couple of duels but also did well to win many, so it was a decent display overall. He got a big lucky when Lecce hit the post but he helped stopped some other chances too, so enough to get a pass here.
Hernandez (7.5 – MOTM): The assist for Morata was very nice, even if the attacker did most of the work, and the strike to double the lead was fantastic. He had a chance to score a fourth before half-time in a similar position but missed the target that time. In addition to a goal and an assist, he was very solid defensively and continued to threaten Lecce in attack.
Pulisic (6.5): Milan attacked more on the left flank in both halves of the game, but he was in the right place at the right time for the goal. He made some nice runs throughout the game, to be fair, but at the end of the day he wasn’t involved as much this evening.
Fofana (6.5): The passing was better than in the derby, probably because he had more time on the ball, and he helped dictate the tempo of the game well. Also spoke a lot with Maignan and his defensive teammates throughout the game, helping out a lot in that phase as well.
Reijnders (6): Kept the play going with some pace whenever he got on the ball but given just how compact Lecce were, his strengths were not as effective today. Still a good display, though, and hopefully he will find more space against the attacking-minded Leverkusen.
Leao (7): It was hit or miss at the start for the captain of the evening, but then he got going. He first won the free-kick that led to Morata’s goal and then he assisted Theo’s strike with a perfectly weighted pass. He had some good moments in the second half and came close to the goal in the final minutes after a great run. Almost a 6.5 here due to the highs and lows, but he helped with the goals after all.
Morata (7): It was a fantastic header to open the scoring (thanks to the shaved head?) and he then helped win the ball back for Pulisic’s goal. Fonseca subbed him off after 55 minutes but it looked precautionary more than anything. An important leader of the team for sure.
Abraham (5.5): Just like we saw in the derby, he worked hard but this time out, he struggled a bit more with controlling the ball and combining with his teammates. In addition to that, he missed two very good chances just before Pulisic’s goal. He has to be more clinical, and 57% pass success when all other starters had 80% or higher (most 90% or higher) isn’t great.
Substitutes
Loftus-Cheek (6): Came on and used his size to Milan’s benefit, winning duels in the first phase of defence and even helping out when Lecce countered.
Musah (6): Decent ball distribution, aside from a few missed passes, and he helped see out the game with his work rate.
Chukwueze (5.5): It will be very interesting to see more from him this season as we saw glimpses of what he can do with the ball at his feet. However, unlike the other subs, he didn’t really have any impact on the game tonight.
Bartesaghi (N/A): The tackle might have been slightly reckless, but he got the ball and it certainly wasn’t a red card. His studs graced the Lecce’s players boot and the last time we checked, that doesn’t warrant a red card.
Jovic (N/A): A couple of nice flicks from the Serbian, but we didn’t see enough to give him a rating tonight.
Abraham did it struggle, he was only unlucky and need to be more calmer in front of goal
He almost hit the two shots before Pulisic’s goal too cleanly. Nothing wrong with the shot ehat got the post, just rotten luck, then he hit the volley too clean.
It’s the chance against inter last week that worrie me most. He’s got to be clutch
Agreed.
Not sure about the criticism ma. He did well.
Chukwu Ratings is harsh why 5.5 he played better than Loftus..I think the media is against ChukwuHe was every where on the pitch assisting after the red card…
Media you can do better
Stop. He was not better than Loftus. RLC used his physicality to make a number of tackles and recover the ball as well as a beautiful chip shot from a tough angle that went off the crossbar. Chuku did a lot of dribbling that lead to nothing, as usual.
On another note, Fonseca with a smart move putting the armband on Leao. Never saw him work so much. Maybe the coach knows what he’s doing.
What did Loftus do again except hit a fluke cross that hit the bar?
Chucky was terrible again today and the fact he has the same rating as Abraham is a travesty
His passing is atrocious. He’s not good enough.
To be fair your rating system is a bit flawed because 5 should be mediocre as its in between good and bad performances.
Anywho good win but before we scored it wasn’t really an especially great match. Afterwards better than the majority of the first half but still nothing too special considering that Lecce already had lost the match but overall I would have taken a 3-0 win beforehand and the most important thing is to build upon the last match against inter.
Any system for ratings is relative though, no? It’s the Gazzetta dello Sport model (ish) and we explain in that article linked at the top.
Well it might be but its also simple math. Anyways just a small notion on my behalf.
60% up is a pass. Makes perfect sense.
Leao was superb today, and deserves 7.5, he was everywhere and defensively too
Yeah the overall performance was a bit insipid, but class won the day.
I’ll hope for more fluidity in future, but certainly pleased with the important 3 points, we are out of the hole we dug
Yeah it was lacking a bit but whos to complain when we win 3-0.
Yeah before we scored i was starting to get a bit irritated as we lacked some direction. Seems so at least we have surpassed this initial hurdle which is great but the next 5 matches will decide how far we have improved as most should be wins but I’m fairly optimistic for now and think we will only get better if we can keep the squad intact from injuries.
After they scored three they gave up so the ratings should only be for the first 40 mins!
I would add that Leao was a 7 because he also worked hard and effectively in the defensive phase. It was good to see
The eval of Puli is frustrating. Not because it is inaccurate rather because it is spot on.
Why are we not able to play up both sides on a game effectively?
It was like this last year as well.
What I mean is that we always seems to look left, pass left and work the left. Very little came from the right and both Puli and Chuk were far more central than I’d have expected.
Nice win. Nice _rotation_. Barts was hard done. Surprised VAR didn’t overturn it since it was a straight red.
Forza Milan.
Lecce actually paid more attention to Pulisic than Leao. Lecce gave Leao loads of space and 1V1 opportunities. We were smart to hammer the left flank and it did eventually fall. Pulisic did have a few moments and his movement was good so I am not worried about it. I think the squad had a plan to go through Leao tonight.
I didn’t notice and thanks for pointing it out.
In general what I am looking for is us to attack up both sides. Left left left right left right right.
We seem to be a boxer that only has a left jab.
I’m definitely moaning too much after a 3-0 win though. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for what you pointed out. Thanks.
WHY IS PULI NOT INVOLVED AS MUCH ??? LOOK WHO”S PLAYING BEHIND HIM ! ROYAL ( CAN:T GET THE GOOD QUICK PASSES TO HIM)
You definitely have a point. Theo is light years ahead of Royal so it’s easier for Leão to get balls than it is for Puli. That’s why I want Fonseca to try Jimenez as right back in a game like this. Not that Jimenez is very good at defending but he is good at supporting the offense. We have a world class left back and a weak right back, although to be fair to him, Emerson was more decent in the last two games than in the previous ones, so there is some hope. Maybe Fonseca will be able to improve Emerson’s game.
Theo and Leao have their own gravitational pull!
Very few sides in history have had perfectly balanced sides, and the success of our Scudetto winning side was largely because we accepted this fact and played with Calabria and Saelemaekers down the right.
On balance (if you forgive the pun) Pulisic has brought so much that it was worth it, but we can’t expect both he and Leao to be superstars every game (even though they’re not far off).
Leao’s assist was beautiful.
Agree with all these points
Harsh rating for Tammy. He does need to do a little better with his finishing but he brings so much to this team with his energy, pressing and ball movement. He was unlucky not to score there.
Most played well. Emerson needs to do better.
Top of the table despite all the negative haters on here who were claiming the season was a disaster after just 3 games. Seeing less and less of them now. They only want to comment if they can complain. The team is only going to get better as the season goes on. Keep it up boys.
We won but it was an ordinary performance. Hope we keep improving game after game.
Maignan saved a lot and Leao run a lot.
There is more of Royal to improve in defence. And Abraham must start scoring.
Morata was 10.
Morata was unbelievable.
He’s single handily raised the standard of the side.
That’s what happens when you bring in winners.
Leao is definitely not a 7, can barely make it 6.5 for the assist and that is about it. Should never be a captain either.
The guy can’t pass, can’t shoot, can’t defend. He can do music though. Very limited in the football abilities however.
Can’t stand this scoop into nowhere he tries every single game, as it never works out & results in losing the momentum, the possession and potentially smart continuation of the attack. 9 out of 10 passes go to waste, while all shots end up either in the stands or in the goalkeepers gloves via the center.
His attitude is what is dragging the whole team down for years. Enough of this. I want him to be gone and fast.
He only need to go learn how to shot without be doing or trying to slant his posture while shooting.? This is doing him no goal…
Maybe he need to go watch Henry clips back at Arsenal. He’s the only one who does it at his best from that angle.
Have you watched Milan. He’s the reason we won the league, he’s been among the best goal and assist contributors in Europe and especially in his position. last season, even though his stats were as great, some of his creation stats were among the best in the world. Now this year we’re seeing a rough patch from him and everybody’s taking a chance to jump on him, not to mention that you clearly didn’t watch the game today. Although he struggles with his usual inconsistency, he still had moments of brilliance that change the game as well as actually defending. Please put your bias aside Before you spew hater shit like this without reason
Spotted the Inter fan / troll.
Can’t pass?
I’m guessing you were looking the other way when he did a perfect assist for Theo on the 2nd goal.
Rafa was great today.
I don’t know what you people expect sometimes.
Great show of confidence by Fonseca to give him the arm band
Seriously some people think that players are supermen and should score with every shot, or if defender to block every shot.
Haters!!!
That’s exactly the same tackle Sommer made in Abraham in the Derby that wasn’t called for anything. It still baffles me how there can be varying standards in applying the laws in Serie A by the refs.
I often criticized Leao quite harshly but tonight for me he was the player of the match. The captain’s armband seems to have made him ambitious. Theo plays very well too. Pulisic always there, impressive in his opportunism to be where he needs to be almost match by match. For the first time I liked Fofana too. Keep going boys !
Leao was nowhere near the player of the match taoday, even if this performance was way better than the one at the derby. Theo was correctly noted as the MVP, and after him is Morata who opened the game with a great header and created havoc in the Pulisic goal. After Morata and Theo, I would pick Pulisic, then Leao
Another hater!!
No, what Putuco said is not out of hatred, I don’t think. It is accurate. Theo and Morata were for me as well the co-MOTM. I would say, though, that this time Rafa played better than Puli, while in the Derby Puli played better than Rafa. Me, I love both players and I appreciate their goal participations. This season so far Rafa had 4 and Puli 7. That’s wonderful. It is in great part thanks to these two players that our offense has been so far the most prolific one in Serie A.
What qqq said above, however, is hateful trolling. Likely an Inter fan.
Agree
Good results, nice win.
It didn’t look good during the first half before Milan scored the 1st goal. Lecce sat back and Milan looked like they had no idea how to brake them open, but then in 5 minutes the flood gates opened up.
Milan has few good players who are very good in the air in Morata and Abraham, I don’t know why they don’t cross the ball more in open play when a team is sitting back.
Really liked Musah. It looks like he is changing his game slowly, to what Fonseca ask of him to be more of a passer than a ball carrier. Also, he did great at LB after the red card.
Good games by Theo, Leao, Morata and Gabbia, the rest were OK. Tammy didn’t have a good game in front of the goal, but his effort is always on point.
Great to see Ante Rebic back in serie A.
Clean sheet and on to Leverkusen.
I thought that Tammy actually did well in those two shots he rapidly fired, which ended up, afterbthe post hit, resulting in the goalie allowing a rebound that became an easy tap in for Puli. Of course there is merit for Puli who was in the right place at the right time, but that goal was in great part out of Tammy’s work. We can feel that Tammy’s goals are coming. He’s been a bit unlucky. And his passion and work rate are contagious.
I thought that Tammy actually did well in those two shots he rapidly fired, which ended up, after the post hit, resulting in the goalie allowing a rebound that became an easy tap in for Puli. Of course there is merit for Puli who was in the right place at the right time, but that goal was in great part out of Tammy’s work. We can feel that Tammy’s goals are coming. He’s been a bit unlucky. And his passion and work rate are contagious.
I liked Leao today, he gave the better version of himself!
Agreed, but this might be his 1 good game in 4 game. Let’s see what happens midweek.
Hey, a player who according to you has only now had ONE good game in 4 games, has collected 4 seasonal goal participations already (with three having happened before tonight), despite having played one fewer game than his companions (didn’t play the first game), and having sat for three fourths of another game. That’s pretty good for a forward, in terms of goal participations by minutes played, and it’s second best (only behind Puli), among all Milan players.
The hugely praised Lautaro Martinez this season over the same period has had one fourth of Rafa’s goal participations despite playing more minutes for Inter (only 1 assist for Lautaro; 1 goal and 3 assists for Rafa).
Midweek probably we’ll do poorly against Leverkusen, which I believe is currently a better team than Milan (and the game is away, making it even more difficult). I hope not, but I do expect a loss, and will find that a draw away against Leverkusen will be a fabulous result, if it happens. A win would be fantastic but I have little hope that it will happen. But even if Leão doesn’t do well against Leverkusen, it won’t change my good opinion of him.
I do expect, though, that all the Leão haters will come out in force and will harshly criticize him if we don’t beat Leverkusen, despite the fact that since the start of last season and in all competitions, Leverkusen has lost just once (to Atalanta) and hasn’t lost at home at all. So, losing to them at their home would be a rather normal result, but mark my words: haters will say it will be Rafa’s fault and will say he must be sold immediately.
You already have your excuses ready when Leao, the man you ve been embarrassingly glazing here for days, plays poorly midweek.
People criticize Leao’s effort, which 3 out of 4 games is embarrassing and lazy.
Stop embarrassing yourself with these desperate posts.
What first game did Leao miss? He played in the 1st game vs Torino and he was awful. Are you pretending that he didn’t play because of how bad he played?
You also said that he sat 3/4 of the Lazio game. Why did he sat that game? Did you forget or you choose to pretend? Because he was awful in the 2nd game and assisted to Parma’s winning goal.
Stop embarrassing yourself. You ain’t changing anyone’s opinion of Leao. People have their own eyes.
Oops, I guess you are right. I checked, and indeed Leão played against Torino. For some reason I though he didn’t. Maybe you are right that he was in one of his disappearing acts, which I have acknowledged that they happen.
I have no trouble whatsoever acknowledging Rafa’s shortcomings. But I do appreciate his numerous goals and assists. Tonight he had another gorgeous assist.
Look man, I’ve been supportive of Leao until this season. I’ve just gotten to the point where I don’t accept a certain lack of effort in certain phases of play or failed dribbles against middling defenders. Sorry. I don’t consider myself a “hater”. I just have expectations and he’s been around for five seasons. If he FINALLY reaches his potential, I’d be happy. I just don’t think he’s going to do it.
I could’ve written this – agree entirely 👌 He’s reached his level and that’s fine.
At least Leao ran this match, he was our best player besides his shooting.
Great team work. Morata has suddenly become so important to how Milan plays. He works so hard for the team in spite of not scoring many goals. I commented on Football kush’s page that gradually the team is grasping the coaches Ideas. This coach can take Milan far if the team is ready to work together. Apart from Fofana, the unexpected players like Abraham and. Morata are doing so well.
This is right. Team got the press up and it turned into chances. You could see the effort and the smiles at the rewards from the effort. Defense to offense, and easy goals.
Morata is the single most important change to this side . He’s raised the level so much. Great signing.
We need a player of that level in midfield and we’re set.
Whilst I do agree that Morata is a huge addition.
I’m thinking that Abraham is actually the best change to the squad.
He’s got speed, stamina and skills.
Providing everything that Giroud had just gotten too old to do (especially not with how much Pioli over played him). Tammy seems to have about 85% of Giroud’s touch and football brain but about 175% of his speed and stamina.
And just as much heart.
Morata and Abraham together together are providing great defensive pressure to win the ball back.
Although it’s still way too early to pass a judgement and only our second consecutive win but they seem more resilient and matured. More confident on the ball and in possession. Sure there are flaws and holes to patch but it would be unfair to say there’s no progression evident. Some tough games ahead, hoping for positive outcome and build up to this momentum.
I just don’t like this 4-2-4 in defense formation. It might work a trick in Serie A, but we will get burned in the CL like this.
I think quite the opposite. Teams in champions league always tend to attack so with this formation if we can transition quickly then we’ll be a huge threat. It’s all about fofana now staying back and helping that defence. That one little tactic has improved this team so much especially in midfield.
Agreed, i think this team will do better against open and attacking team than the sit back team like lecce and most serie A team
Fonseca was scaring the cr*p out of us there for a while but somehow he’s got this team playing again. I don’t know whether it’s trusting in Gabbia again, the formation change, or throwing team barbecues but whatever it is it’s working. 🙏
It’s all about consistently now, but we have to be more mobile off the ball, first 30 was dire, nobody looking to overlap, nobody running from
Midfield and nobody brave enough to make that killer pass. At times Tammy was looking to dart into space and nobody was looking
First half an hour wasn’t fantastic but I was quite relaxed – unlike final mind numbing days of Pioli. And Fonseca hasn’t even written the word “movement” in the locker room yet.
😂😂
I’m happy to follow the derby with another win and with more positives to build on.
1.We seem to be more dangerous from set-pieces.
2. The two-striker system seems to be bringing out the best in Abraham and Morata.
3. Leao and Theo reminded us what they can bring to the table as individuals and as a duo. I understand why Leao gets criticized though I do think it is exaggerated. On the other hand, criticism of Theo is a mystery to me. He can have a bad game every now and then but overall, I’d say he has been consistent since joining Milan. His offensive production is incredible, he runs like hell, plays a lot of games, and has improved defensively over the years (even filling in as center back last season).
2.1 the two striker system also does not appear to negatively impact Puli and Leao.
4. Fonseca substituted early, often and even used a kid in a spot we need some depth!
Maignan: did well. 6.5 is about right
Tomori and Gabbia, I thought they both did well and were solid; 6.5
Emerson Royal a 5.5 is about right.
Theo, co-MOTM together with Morata; both a 7.5 or even an 8.
Fofana, rather solid with some good defensive actions; did lose a couple too. I guess 6.5 is fine.
Reijnders, not as good as in the Derby. A 6 looks right.
Leão, great first half; worse in second half. More effort. 6.5
Morata, fabulous. co-MOTM with Theo. 7.5 or 8.
Abraham 5.5??? Puli’s goal had a lot of work by Abraham. 6.5, for me.
Puli, what a great player! 7.5.
RLC, Musah and Chuk all 3 get a pass from me; they were pretty decent.
Bartesaghi, that wasn’t a straight red. Yellow yes, but red, no.
Jovic, a nice attempt to pass to Chuk for an easy goal; but it went a bit off.
Mister Fonseca: 7.5. Again, he made our guys play as a team. The joy and the unit are back. Good approach to a tricky game: start the starters, secure the result, then rest them.
The team looks united and happy. That’s a good sign. Well done, team ! Well done, Fonseca ! Keep going !
I just pray chukwueze leaves AC MILAN to a better top club ,the hatred the media n fans have for chukwueze is immeasurable. Another top club would be better for him.no matter how he performs, they won’t rate him.
Good win but we didn’t play that great at all. Emerson I don’t get at all. Not sure how long Morata can last as a ACM. We shall see. Average display – Fonseca still doesn’t convince me yet. But two wins in a row maybe we can slowly build more confidence. Bayern L on Tuesday will be a big test. Why not sub out Emersonn and give Jimenez a chance?
When are we going to call Chukuweze a bust??? 28M for this guy and he still cannot beat out Pulisic? Chukuweze and Musah – 48M – could have purchased a nice striker for that $$$. Oh well. We should sell the kid. 28M wasted on the bench
Chukwueze still can’t beat out Pulisic!?!?
You mean Milan’s best player, the most in form player in the whole league and the player with most goal contributions since he stepped foot in Italy?
Not sure why you turned this into a slight on Pulisic. Love Pulisic. Great addition as I have said many many times and as I have always praised him when many others have not. Perhaps it’s because you’re an idiot donkey? That would explain it lol
BUT let’s be honest we bought Chukuweze to start. Not to be a 28M BACKUP. That is a fact and That is the point kid. READ kid, READ. You want Chuk to challenge Pulisic as that will only make both players – and our team – that much stronger. But he has offered little in the time he has played – and shows no signs of challenging for a tarting role at all – so that is a 28M bust
It’s very simple Juro and quite obvious. Chuk was bought by the new guys. They can do no wrong apparently 🤷♂️. Call it for what it is
Striker again ? ACM already good with cheap striker and loan striker, look at expensive striker like dovyk in AS Rome or lautaro martinez that 15 official match cannot score even one goal ( get 9m euro nett / years salary) , another example the highest salary on serie A Dusan Vlahovic , he is rarely score goal as striker even with good coach like motta. ACM are on good track with low cost striker
Striker, mid, defender, etc….that was an EXAMPLE. The point is: 28M and another 20M for 2 backups is a luxury we cannot afford and that $$ would have been better served elsewhere. Same donkeys who crucified us spending 35M on CDK when he struggled are awfully quiet when it comes to the $$ spent on Chukuweze…wonder why that could be ..🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Look, our players were visibly tired from the big effort against Inter; still, they solved the game and unblocked it with 3 great goals in 5 minutes. Then, of course, they took the foot off the gas pedal because we have Leverkusen coming up, but still came out with a clean sheet. What’s not to like?
And it’s 3 wins in a row, in Serie A. Losing to Liverpool is normal. They are one of the top 3 teams in the world.
We had a bad start in a season in which the off-season was disturbed by the Euro and Copa America, and late signings. We had 3 bad games (I don’t count losing to Liverpool as bad; most teams in the world will lose to Liverpool). Actually maybe only the second and third Serie A games are something to be ashamed of, because Torino has been surprising everybody, not only us, and they sit at the top of the table.
You are absolutely right about giving Jimenez a chance. I’ve been asking for it, too. I suspect he may do better at RB than Emerson, which is not so difficult to do. For some reason, though, Fonseca seems to love Emerson.
It is concerning that Morata seems to be so injury-prone; you’re right about that too. Let’s hope he lasts.
And yes, Chuk is close to being the biggest bust of that mercato that brought him in. But not necessarily for not beating out Pulisic; that’s very hard to do with Puli’s spectacular form. See, in 7 games, Puli has produced 7 goal participations; 5 goals and two assists. That’s one per game. That’s hard to beat. But the reason why I think that Chuk may be a bust, is because he is predictable. He always cuts to the left and defenders who watch film will know how to mark him.
Musah however has been improving. I think he was very badly managed by Pioli who gave him a dozen roles, never allowing him to stick with one role and learning the skills for it. Remember, Musah is very young. Under Fonseca, it seems like he is improving; Fonseca has been encouraging him to pass more, instead of his crazy ball-carrying runs that never ended well because he didn’t pass and ended up losing the ball. With good guidance, I’m hopeful that Musah will improve.
He should blame his agent for convincing him to move to the club the same summer as Pulisic!
Another wasted talent thanks to the wonders of the transfer market.
Guys, those who found tonight’s game a bit underwhelming, let’s realize that the performance was lacking a bit because at a certain point our players looked tired. It wasn’t exactly easy to follow up on the huge effort that it took to beat Inter just a few days ago, and needing to avoid overdoing it because we have Leverkusen coming up and shouldn’t get exhausted or injured.
Morata, for example, was not at 100% physical condition, and he pretty much dictated the pace in the Derby so by Morata not being able to be as active, we were less good. Abraham also looked tired. Leão worked very hard and got tired in second half; he played all 90 minutes and again, it was fine to just manage it in the second half, given Leverkusen looming.
Still, we scored 3 goals, we are the most prolific Serie A offense, and we kept a clean sheet. I’d say overall it was very positive.
In Serie A teams generally don’t push on after 3:0.
That’s why you don’t get many 5s and 6s and 7s.
They were clearly keeping their powder dry for the next game.
There’s no point doing ratings for the second half.
Ideal scenario.
We sealed the deal soon, got the 3 points, didn’t conceide goals, subbed out key players early and didn’t get injured.
Now onto Leverkusen.
Agreed. Couldn’t have asked for more.
A decent game, and good pressing by the forwards. But, too many balls passing through our middle, and also beating our defense. This formation may not work against Leverkusen. We may need an extra player in the middle. Our players also have to improve their passing in the middle, while our strikers need to finish better.
Pulisic is in such crazy good form right now. 7 games 5 goals, and I think 4 assists.
And he’s not a one trick pony either. He’s highly skilled.
2 assists, he has 7g/a in 7 games in all competitions
Puli is playing lights out and outperforming Theao so far this season 🤣
I remember that idiot Martin or Tkoje or whatever he called himself saying Pulisic can’t beat anyone – he’s useless. Such a shame his astounding intellect’s no longer around here…
Tammy has had less time settling in than Morata, for reference. But shows more pressing and grinta than some of the players that have been here longer. He will improve in front of goal.
Leece often had every player behind the ball. Can’t compare the players’ performances to the derby because Inter played a more open game. So the likes of Reijnders had a harder time penetrating through.
It’s a good win. No goals conceded and Gabbia continues to impress. The most important thing here was the continuity we carried forward.
Exactly. ACM1899, you are almost always 100% right in your assessments and opinions. You really know football and you have a lot of good sense. Bravo.
“Leece often had every player behind the ball. Can’t compare the players’ performances to the derby because Inter played a more open game. So the likes of Reijnders had a harder time penetrating through.”
Inter was trying to win, Leece was just here to secure a draw.
During the first half of the first half, it was quite frustrating to watch because we were so static in the possession phase, and our players didn’t make the moves that will stretch the opposition and force them out of formation and they were having more shots than us. Then, starting from the 37th minute, the difference in quality showed itself.
The second half was just a matter of preserving that score without tiring ourselves which we did.
Good win.
A side note: with this game and the derby, we seemed to have improved in set pieces, we got 2 breakthroughs from freekicks. Last season we almost never score from freekicks.
It’s very good to see Milan starting XI has been ‘formed’.
But the homework is, the subs. They have to catch up the starting team.
I think Chuk and RLC, maybe next season will be on transfer list. Because they don’t fit with the formation, and also Jovic too.
I though that RLC for Morata worked well in shutting down the game. He also had a promising header he missed on a clever run.
I really think RLC for Tammy and Jovic for Morata is where we end up if we are going to keep this formation.
RLC did well subbing for Morata indeed. But I think in the long term, we’d rather have a better striker than Jovic to sub for Abraham and also a better midfielder than RLC.
RLC is quite physical and has provided quite many goals, but in the buildup and in the defensive aspect of the midfield, his contribution is a bit limited. He can’t replace Reijnders, can’t replace Fofana and is not an attacking midfielder.
Should he not improve, I think we should sell him as well as Bennacer to get a better midfielder.
It’s funny that we got two good strikers and now need more.
Long term I agree with you. I was commenting on the squad now and the reality that it’s what we have until Jan.
As far as I am concerned RLC is auditioning for a role as S2 backup and emergency pivot.
A gut with his size and skill in the box would be amazing if he can be converted. Will be interesting.to see.
This was exactly how they wanted the game to go. I can say that at least the last two Serie A matches NOT against Inter were text book. This game they absorbed the pressure, they suffered together as a team and with a couple of good saves from Mike but still picked their time to accelerate, everyone on the pitch sensed it. Morata has transformed this team with his infectious attitude and class. They picked up the intensity, went SSJ and just knocked Lecce out before they knew what hit them. Subs on early and everyone get’s an extra day’s rest before champions league. If they can get a good performance against Leverkusen, then we can really start thinking that they have something brewing. The next month will really give them a chance to prove they’ve growth. Fonseca must be a changeling b/c he could go from donkey to goat by xmas lol.
“If they can get a good performance against Leverkusen, then we can really start thinking that they have something brewing.”
I think it is likely that we will lose to Leverkusen. They’ve been beating everybody since the beginning of last season. They only lost one game, to Atalanta. They usually do not lose or even draw at home. If we lose to Leverkusen away, it’s no shame and it shouldn’t interrupt the good feelings we have achieved with 3 Serie A wins in a row. They (Leverkusen) are a much more cohesive and tactically sound team than most teams in Europe. We have just changed coach and style; they’ve been working with a lot of stability for over one year. They have the advantage over us, this time.
To make the first 8 of the Champions League, directly classified for the next phase, mathematicians have looked at 10,000 simulations and have found that we’d need to beat all 5 lesser teams in our list, and get at least one draw from Liverpool (so much for that), Leverkusen, or Real Madrid. I think this is almost impossible to achieve. But then, it is perfectly possible for us to be one of the teams ranked 9 through 24. These go into a play-in home-and-away games to advance to the next phase. I think we will be able to accomplish that.
I’m developing a lot of respect for Fonseca.
For Leverkusen are you bringing their stats in Europe only?
Cause they’ve lost to a game already in Bundesliga this season, I think to RB Leipzig.
Leverkeusen are also playing Bayern, a huge, tough match today, Saturday, a day after Milan, and so will have one day less rest.
What we are seeing is a team. While we had a difficult start to the season, so did others in the league. Our team is gelling under a new philosophy and new coach. And you can also tell the players like him. I think what he did was take control of a difficult situation.
I think it was more just a challenge for our team to at first adapt to a new philosophy. And I think they are all understanding now. Remember Pioli had a challenging beginning too.
But in all honesty, I think we are adapting more quickly as a team.
And by team not just a group of players, but rather a collective. So I do like what I see. The cohesion is becoming clear. Lets just hope we’re ready for the Champions League this season.
I thought that almost everybody played pretty well, with Theo the best standout and Bartesaghi and Emerson not so great. Emerson does not look that great defensively, which is what he’s supposed to be good at. It’s not like he was up against Mbappe or Leao… and he seemed to keep getting beat. Musah was admirable as LB fill-in. I think we should use him as Theo’s backup more often.
I’m glad we rotated, but wish we’d brought in Camarda in the squad if we are going 4-4-2 and given Reijnders a rest. He’s a real engine. Or Pavlovic comes in and we go back 3.
I don’t think Camarda would do well in Serie A at this time. See, he hasn’t been able to score a single goal from open play so far, in Serie C (did score one from a PK). He is still too young and doesn’t have the muscle mass required to play against big grown men as center backs. If he is struggling in Serie C, let alone in Serie A. I think we need to allow him to develop calmly with Milan Futuro and shouldn’t be bringing him to the pressures of the first team yet. I think he still needs a couple of years to get ready; he’s only 16.
People say that Lamine Yamal is also very young (17) and is playing with his first team (and his national team), so Camarda should do it too. Well, those are one-in-a-generation exceptions. Usually youth players don’t do well among grown men, unlike Yamal, who is the exception, not the rule. Sorry, but Yamal is better than Camarda; at least, at this stage. Maybe Camarda will become as good or better than Yamal at some point, but he’s not there yet.
If we were to bring a Milan Futuro player to Serie A, I think Liberali, Zeroli, and Vos are likely more ready than Camarda because they seem to be a bit farther away in terms of muscle development (but they would likely struggle too). I think that Liberali is the closest one to being ready – he was very good in pre-season – but I’d still let him develop more with Futuro.
Yes, Emerson got beat a lot by Lecce’s left winger. It is concerning. I’ll contradict myself and say that I’d like to see Jimenez there at RB, despite his youth. But that’s more like a desperate situation. Both Calabria and Emerson are not doing so well, so maybe we should try Jimenez, why not?
But Camarda is a striker; we have grown men ready to play as strikers who are actually quite good, so there is no desperate situation that would justify bringing a 16-year-old there.
The refs decision on Bartesaghi was a disgrace.
I hope we appeal. The club ne s to show this kid every support in this situation
musah and winning tacklings, he just won’t stop…he needs to teach these midfielders how to do it…
The ref’s decision on Bartesaghi was a disgrace.
It was a completely vanilla slide tackle even by today’s no contact standards.
What sort of impact does such a poor decision have on a young player?
It’s an absolutely travesty.
The ref should be suspended.
Disgraceful.
REIJNDERS WATCH
Ok now I’m just watching him waiting to be proven wrong.
Is it fair to say we would’ve won without him on the pitch?
The rating obviously makes excuses (because apparently people need to make excuses for him).
Anyway I think I know what’s wrong….
His positioning is dreadful!
He drifts into this position which is sort of between midfield and attack but sort of just stands there too close to the defence and not moving, so he’s either not available for a pass or if he does get the ball he can’t do anything except take a few touches and pas back (and why doesn’t he just pass first time rather than taking touches)?
He also contributes nothing in defence and lets players run past him in the midfield.
He also loses most of his 50:50 challenges .
Still waiting for him to be the match winner. He needs to take a leaf out of Morata’s book. That’s what I’m looking for from him (not the header of course but the driving).
Reijnders had an excellent game against Inter. In the summer he was phenomenal with the Netherlands; did you watch any of their games? He is a very good player, capable of MOTM performances (and has indeed won MOTM a few times). I don’t understand why you’re so against him.
Yes, tonight he wasn’t that impressive. It’s been just a few days after the big effort to beat Inter when he was very active; maybe he was just tired, and Leverkusen is looming. It’s normal that a player will have a more subdued performance in such circumstances. Tactically this game was more crowded with Lecce employing a low block, so it’s normal that a midfielder was less flashy as compared to the more open game against Inter.
No player is good every game. Reijnders is good most games. It’s much more common for Reijnders to perform well, than it is for RLC and Musah (although the latter is slowly improving).
You are right that Reijnders is not so good at defending. Fofana seems to be a lot better at that, so pairing Reijnders who is more creative offensively, with Fofana who can do DM, can work.
Why do you engage in this “Reijnders watch”? Why are you so invested in proving that he is bad? Well, he isn’t.
Are you trying to start a war against Reijnders, like some people her have a war against Leão? Why?
Bizarre.
You feel bad when people criticize Calabria and you accuse people of turning against a Milan player, but it sounds hypocritical when you engage in a crusade against Reijnders.
I really don’t understand his rating against Inter.
Morata made all of the difference in midfield against Inter. Both Reijnders and Fofana got knocked off the ball or lost the ball in dangerous positions.
I didn’t watch the Netherlands this summer or ever but understand he does well for them (although given how people rate his performances for Milan I am starting to think he just has really good PR).
The reason I am focusing on Reijnders is because I think he could be the reason we’ve struggled for the past 12 months (last two games and the run midway through last season excepted).
I think he’s the main reason we have no midfield. He’s played the most out of all our midfielders.
We all seem to accept that our midfield is a problem but don’t seem to want to accept that it could be the player who has mostly played in midfield who is the source of that problem.
It wasn’t until Fonseca moved to two upfront and Morata came back and hunted for the ball and drove forward that we were able to actually gain control of the midfield.
Looking at Reijnders positioning I can see what the issue is. I honestly don’t know what he’s trying to do when he drifts that close to the opposition defence.
It’s a such a weird position to take up. I need to see if others do the same if we ever have a game where he doesn’t play!
I am not criticising him like others criticise Calabria. When others criticise Calabria they want him sold or dropped or whatever.
I am not calling for Reijnders to be sold because I am also convinced he’ll set the world on fire at another club and I will massively regret it.
I actually want Reijnders to be the player everyone says he is including because it will mean we have sorted our midfield.
Hang on. Rjeinders in midfield helped take us from 5th to 2nd in the table.
He played more than anyone I’m midfield last year. So he must have been pivotal in that improvement.
Remember when you were telling us all to lay-off Pioli last year because we were 2nd in the table?
🤭
“The reason I am focusing on Reijnders is because I think he could be the reason we’ve struggled for the past 12 months (last two games and the run midway through last season excepted).
I think he’s the main reason we have no midfield. He’s played the most out of all our midfielders.”
It’s a bit strange that the second place of last season, which you described previously as good and enough to keep Pioli is now seeing as struggling when it comes to Reijnders.
We’ve tried many combinations last season with many players and still limited success. Our problems weren’t mostly the players per say, but the tactics and lack of some profils.
It wasn’t Reijnders’ fault, but mostly the lack of a Kessie type of players who could win the ball and free our players.
“It wasn’t until Fonseca moved to two upfront and Morata came back and hunted for the ball and drove forward that we were able to actually gain control of the midfield.”
And yet that solution consisted of dropping RLC out of the starting 11, moving Fofana a bit deeper and allowing Reijnders more freedom. So it seems that in order to gain control of our midfield we had to drop RLC and not Reijnders.
I’m not a huge fan of Reijnders, and I do consider him a bit overhyped, but from august 2023 onwards, he is our best midfielder.
PS I am willing to also give him the benefit of the doubt this game because the performances after the third goal don’t really count given it was all about preserving energy.
I really want to see what he does against Leverkusen. I’ll update my Reijnders Watch after that game (hopefully to say that I am an idiot and he’s a genius after his match winning performance!).
Here’s one stat on Reijnders that you can use – minutes played. Yes, I rate him highly not the least because he is always available. Just like Backstabbing Kessie used to be, and unlike half the squad, or our captain who played five minutes and is now in the treatment room.
Now regarding anything else, it seems like your expecting Kaka or something. Reijnders is not here to win games on his own. He is here to link the defense and attack, and if you count the number of touches and low number of misplaced passes, you can better gauge his role. Actually the way he positions himself in attack helps a lot on this.
His defense skills need to be worked on, granted. I would be happy to see a tackle here in there
I was an absolute joy to see Rebic back at the San Siro!
Some of his touches were pure class.
I generally hate dribblers and step overs but he does them with purpose. That little pass inside in the first half was a beauty.
We wouldn’t have won the Scudetto without him.
The only that thing that matters is the win and the team is progressing. Emerson played his role and they executed the game plan. Would’ve loved to see some younger talent play in the second half but they played the day before.
Chuk at this point is not good enough.
Both Emerson and Tammy should be a 6. Emerson was good defensively, but he had frequent crosses going nowhere over the box. Tammy was unlucky to score, but could have been more involved in the game. Also I kiked Mike’s performance today- finally no BS
I rewatched the second half just to see how well the subs did.
RLC and Musah did well. It was good to see Musah locking down the defensive mid spot, and being the focal point for holding and distributing the ball. He had a solid, reassuring position in that spot. Then he got moved to right back after Bartesaghi’s red card and he wasn’t quite a solid, but he didn’t make any critical mistakes.
Chuk wasn’t as bad as everybody is saying. He actually did a very credible job coming back and helped out a lot on defense, certainly a lot more than he used to do last season and way more than Leao did in this match. This was especially important after the red card.
He still seems to be missing something in his final offensive moves though and still seemed to be running into dead ends a lot.
Jovic also was doing a lot of running back on defense and did do some nice one twos with Leao and others. He wasn’t stellar, but he worked up a sweat and put in a decent shift. So not too shabby.
The one person I was really surprised by was Reinjders. He missed a lot of passes and lost the ball more than he should have. He should probably get only a 5.5, at least for the second half. He didn’t really link up very well, and was a source of turnovers in the second half.
Emerson was only so-so. His defense was OK, no horrible mistakes like the Inter game, but on offense, he was very inconsistent and an occasional source of turnovers.
I meant left back, for Musah.
Before they went down to 10, Musah looked like he owned that position…as you said…he was strong defensively…and (the one thing Fofana hasn’t been doing much of) he found the gaps, turned fast, and quickly spotted several line breaking or switching passes.