AC Milan eventually managed to clinch all three points against Empoli and they have their subs to thank for it. In particular, a certain duo made the difference 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): It was a much-needed clean sheet for the Frenchman but it must be said that he wasn’t tested that much by Empoli. Lorenzo Colombo hit the inside of the post, but that was pretty much it. Still, the keeper did well with his feet.
Walker (6.5): The experienced right-back had a crucial block in front of goal in the first half and defended well throughout the game. He had to move to centre-back for a while after the red card and did well there.
Tomori (5): Yes, it was an offside and that certainly put the Englishman at a disadvantage going into the challenge. The actual yellow cards, however, were clear and the feeling is that he wasn’t as assertive at the back either.
Pavlovic (6): The Serbian did well throughout the game and put up a good fight with the Empoli attackers. However, he wasn’t quite as assertive as we have become used to – same with Tomori – and it allowed Empoli to pick up some loose balls.
Hernandez (7): He has seemingly regained some important form in recent games, starting with the derby really, and tonight was another mix of good attacking contributions and solid defending. Now he actually wins 50-50 balls, sometimes even ones you think are lost, so that is very nice to see.
Musah (6.5): He started the game as the right midfielder, moved to right-back and then finished it as a central midfielder. Some fans were perhaps surprised to see Fofana taken off at HT but honestly, it was absolutely the right choice as the American was more dynamic and secure with the ball tonight. He has bounced back from the Dinamo disaster for sure.
Fofana (5.5): Once again, despite having got some rest recently, this was another poor game from him. The passing was far from 100%, with some sloppy giveaways, and he loses duels that he previously would have won with ease. It was right to take him off, no doubt.
Reijnders (6): He moved over large spaces and showed off his ability on the ball a couple of times, even if he didn’t get into that many dangerous chances tonight. A couple of poor giveaways in the build-up, with Milan a bit exposed, lower his rating here.
Jimenez (5.5): The youngster started the game very well, lively on and off the ball, and had some good moments. However, everything was a bit too rushed from him after that and Milan’s attack suffered as a result.
Abraham (5.5): He potentially could have had a penalty, brought down quite early in the game, but one can see the other side of the argument as well. Aside from that, the Englishman had a couple of chances in good positions but was too indecisive, so it was right to take him off.
Joao Felix (6): The creativity he adds is undeniable, helping Milan create chances throughout the game and causing problems for Empoli. However, he was not good enough in the decisive moments tonight, squandering a few good opportunities and missing a huge one. But enough to get a pass still.
Substitutes
Leao (7): He made things happen from the get-go and eventually got the crucial opener for Milan with a nice header. Right place, right time. However, before the goal and before the red card, he missed a pretty big 1v1 as he tried to square it to Gimenez. He should have been more selfish and this brings down his rating a bit, even if he added a lot of good stuff.
Pulisic (8 – MOTM): Talk about being decisive off the bench with few touches. Milan attacked mostly on the left after the subs but as soon as the American got a chance to take on his man 1v1, he took it and delivered a lovely cross for Leao. Then, he fought to get the ball and set up Gimenez for the second. Crucial actions for the Rossoneri.
Gimenez (8): Say what you want about that red card being given, but the striker made sure to make the most of the situation and probably saved Milan by doing so. Then, he bagged his first goal for the club with a lovely finish. It is what the Rossoneri have been missing for so long. He never looked in doubt when he got the space.
Thiaw (N/A): We didn’t see enough to give him a rating.
How does Leao get a higher rating than Felix? These ratings make no sense lol. Is it just because he scored? Felix was arguably our best player today outside of that chance he missed, especially in that horrible first half. In awful playing conditions, getting the cr*p kicked out of him, a bad referee, etc…
Outside of the goal, Leao was dreadful. Hopefully he decides to show up against Feyenoord.
This was an incredibly delusional comment. What did you like when Felix choked one on one with the keeper?
I already said he ballsed up the 1v1 chance, maybe you missed that. I assumed most people here could read. However, outside of that he was great. Leao was the complete opposite, got the goal but was bad outside of it.
I think you’re the delusional one, or maybe you just didn’t watch the game…
Disagree. Leao was very involved from the first moment he came on.
Felix had a mix of good and bad moments I thought.
The yellow for diving was a correct call.
Leao is trash. Sick athlete doesn’t make good soccer iq.
Can you tell me one good thing Leao did aside from the goal?
Also if you think that is a yellow, you’re not a Milan fan.
Why was Leao rated higher? He only scored the game winning goal and Felix boffed a sitter!
Because he crapped his pants for the rest of the game.
Chill. Felix played okay. There were several moments where he needed to play the simple pass or possess the ball but was too flashy and gave it away.
Agree, too cutesy dancing too much instead of passing it off. It is early though so we shall see. We all hope he will be good for Milan.
yeah mate, I finally know why no club wanted him to stay
Up milan
Felix is too slow on the ball. Need to take faster decisions.
Playing this slow against CL teams will make him lose the ball all the time.
He has always had talent but it’s not enough. Especially not for the salary he has.
You sip on Promethazine? Put down the cup.
Tell that to Dave Blunts
Totally agree, something about Joao and Christian, when they are on the pitch good things seem to happen . Joao has seamlessly fit in already in his second game.
LOLOLOLO🤡
Pulisic needs to start stealing Balotelli’s old shirt: WHY ALWAYS ME? It is always Pulisic who provides that ONE moment — today two — that changes the tide of the game. There will be buzz over the two scorers, but we all know Pulisic made it happen.
Thiaw should get a pass.
Felix colored sunglasses. Best player today? Don’t know about that. Best of the starting attackers, sure.
Ugly game. Another awful first half under Conceicao. Not setting the team up to win.
Pulisic has to save the day again. If not for him this team would be getting relegated.
Not sure why we keep playing Jimenez as a winger or midfielder. He’s a fullback.
Good finish by Giminez.
Not much good to say about this.
I guess ugly football is what we are going to be playing from now on. A million yellow cards every game , players constantly diving trying to draw fouls. Turning us into Porto. No thanks.
Imagine whining this much after a victory and such a good performance from our attacking players in horrible conditions and with a bad referee…
Wow, so ungrateful and entitled.
Looks like you are just getting to know K 🤦🤦
Good performance? You have to be kidding. Dont think we had a single shot on target in the first half. If Empoli didnt get that red card we were cooked. Couldn’t create anything 11 v 11. Pulisic had to save the day again. And this was against Empoli. If you think this was a good performance that is sad.
Do you own stock in Kleenex or something? You literally cry all day. Win or lose…
Yeah, it’s great every week having to watch the worst first half of football I’ve ever seen. Until the next week comes and it gets even worse. We’ve been lucky with some results but this is not a sustainable strategy.
Good performance from our attacking players, I said. This is the second instance where your reading comprehension has failed you, pal. First half was rubbish, I know, that is on Conceicao and the players he started the match with. Second half was a massive improvement once the quality players came on. Our front 4 is dynamic and very technically gifted. We have nothing to worry about on that front provided we play with our best team – or close to it – most games.
“ Second half was a massive improvement once the quality players came on. Our front 4 is dynamic and very technically gifted. We have nothing to worry about on that front provided we play with our best team – or close to it – most games”
You bashed Leao BUT then said we have the best attack – AFTER he came on????? 🤡🤡🤡🤡
Hahahahahaha!! Crazy kid, go back to bed.
0.12 xG first half. Again we start bad. like we want the other team to score first to wake up.
Now on to Rotterdam..
half of this blog is like this, basically they are still salty about Maldini and if Milan start winning it would be bad news for their bias
Nah we just can’t stand you idiot Redbird Lovers who lick Gerry’s A$$ and wank to photos of Furlani.
Go back in momma’s basement @Boulden!1 hahahahahaha!
It WAS an ugly first half but Comceicao is doing 2 things:
1. Reducing the miles Pulisic runs – he needs a game off (as does Tijiani)
2. Trying different combinations to see what works.
It seems clear that Conceicao has quickly validated that his best front four attackers are Giminez, J Felix, Pulisic, and Leao. Perhaps a bit of Captain Obvious. Look for these four to start up front on Wed.
You’re sad about Fonseca. He was never going to be your boyfriend, give it a rest.
🤣🤣🤣 I swear better a bad first half in a game than a bad first half of a whole season
you are so mad Milan didnt lose LMAO
STAY MAD
Gimenez-real killer!!!
That goal was an authoritative strike for sure, sheesh
Worried sbout the constant terrible first halves since Concecao arrived
Who cares if we don’t play well the first half. The only thing that matters is winning and we are winning!
Felix loses balls and stops playing but gets a pass? He blows a 1v1 with the keeper and gets a pass? Silky smooth and exactly no positive impact.
Gimenez looks good, and I credit him making a meal from the retaliation.
Agree with Puli analysis. We are a better _team_ when he is on the pitch. I cannot fathom him not taking corners.
Tomorri is so talented and so rash. I blame Sarge for not subbing him at the half
I’ll say it again … We showed up with a plan and could not execute. The players on the field were all of quality but we had no play style and no play identity (grinta). I am left largely unconvinced by Sarge. Less yelling more coaching maybe?
Felix no positive impact? I think you should stick to watching your kid play soccer because understanding of the game seems to evade you.
The only creative player we had in the first half and most of the positives in the entire game went through him.
Which key pass did I miss? Did we create danger I missed. What did Felix create exactly.
I’ll note you did not refute the observation that he just stops playing once dispossessed or his clever pass doesn’t work out.
I also not you did not refute we got punked again in the first half (when you assert Felix was our best).
The problem with the word “best” was it is only relative to what was happening on the pitch. 3 shots, 1 on target against little ole Empoli.
Cosa “not much”?
I guess you missed a few good passes in the first half, like the one to Abraham in the first few minutes. Or the incredible pass in the 2nd half down the line to Leao, plus that incredible turn in the middle that took out 2 Empoli midfielders and then pass to Gimenez who almost got it onto his left foot and would’ve scored had he done that.
Punked in the first half had nothing to do with Felix, it was down to Conceicao putting out the wrong line-up and Felix having to play with bums like Abraham and a less than ideal formation. We saw his true qualities in the 2nd half once Leao, Puli and Santi came on, and we’ll see more of it the more he plays and his confidence grows.
I saw him miss sitter when he should have passed to Abraham in the first half.
João finishing is poor but overall a decent play not worth the money long term.
Sanerossonero has some delusional infatuation with Felix. He actually said he was our best player today… Pulisic created more in about 30 minutes than Felix did all match.
Felix adds a lot of creativity – Milan is better with him – but he needs to be more clinical and decisive.
Creativity without impact is football masterbation. Feels good while your doing it, but ultimately unsatisfying.
At the risk of repeating myself, I don’t mind the lost balls and errant passes if he works to fix it. He didn’t. He dropped his head back slouched then started playing again. By then the game had moved on.
So Sarge needs a “you break it you fix it rule.” Except Sarge is supposed to be … Well … Sarge. So the rule should exist and have been made clear.
Good comment very Kruinićs Heir-ess
Dude just your name makes me not worthy. So I appreciate the gloss.
“Creativity without impact is football masterbation. Feels good while you’re doing it, but ultimately unsatisfying.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
EPIC! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
exactly what i thought about Felix.
i also cant understand why Puli is not taking corners (and freekicks).
on Tomoris red i disagree, i can only blame the ref. i mean it was a clear offside and the tackle wasnt exactly a serious foul, so even onside you dont need to give a second yellow right away but could wait a bit until the chance is finished, flag goes up, nothing happens. compared to the actual straight red foul on Walker (btw i’m absolutely sure if Walker stayed down for 2-3 mins the VAR would have overruled).
Delusional fans like you are the problem actually.
What do you mean that Tomori’s red was wrong? It was 💯% tackle on the leg, clear yellow. Flag is up or not doesn’t matter for reckless challenge. It is a card.
What would you say if it was Empoli player tackling Leao like that? WOULD YOU SAY IT WASN’T A FOUL OR A CARD?
I would say it’s a terrible side referee decision as there was no reason for continuing the play with a clear offside and creating a dangerous challenge situation.
Also as a side note, VAR should be able to intervene every time there’s a wrong second yellow card. I don’t get why it’s not a subject of review. Refs were very poor overall for both teams and knew they screwed up big time with the red. Otherwise I doubt they would have given the direct red to Empoli.
it was an everyday foul but clearly none that would force a yellow. as i said before there was one really reckless tackle and that was the one after about 10 min against Walker – straight red.
Colombo actually was onside on that play because Walker kept him on. So Tomori’s second yellow was fully deserved. This isn’t the first time he makes a rash tackle – this has always been his weakness.
Tomori has done this ever since he joined but people still defend him
can you calm down? This is his 2nd game
So judgemental
Why am I not calm?
What does “second game” have to do with hustle? Which game does that come in?
I am calm. Disappointed, but plenty calm.
yeah, why is he off corner duty?? Didn’t he get a few assists with his corner kicks?
That being said maybe the coach is looking for a certain type of ball in that puli doesn’t provide. I don’t know.
If I don’t see another meaningless and errant back heel pass from a Portuguese player I will die happy. I bet the completion percentage is under 50%. Today was the Felix I saw at Athletico and CFC; flash with no end product. He’s delightful to watch as long as you don’t look at the stats. I hope he starts playing no nonsense football. Also, you know that player wearing #11, he was repeatedly open in the box.
Oh, and Gimenez is a proper 9! Well done.
Maybe because there’s more to the game than stats.
Yeah, bad passes are a good thing. Thanks for teaching me that.
Which ones? Point them out
17 balls lost
77% pass complete
44% dribbles won.
He created a lot of nothing except xG at .72. but two things
1. Most of that was on the 1v1 with the keeper
2. That was after the big dogs came to hunt
I am not saying Felix cannot be a great player. I am saying he was not today and the clear lack of work rate makes it unlikely.
Thing about watching my kid for years coached by an Iranian World Cup international is that I got quite an education is what is flash and what matters.
But, but, but he looks so good making a bad pass.
@Jim he certainly does. So I hope over the rest of the month we see some substance to the sizzle.
85 min Puli runs length of pitch but doesn’t get seen and counter is on. He runs all the way back and helps in defense.
Any min – Feliz looses the ball. Stops.
Felix is fun to watch but only if there is an impact to the silky moves. He generated nothing all game. I hope this was a wake up call that he is in a real league with quality players.
“Any min – Feliz looses the ball. Stops. ”
Maybe it’s a Portuguese thing then?
Naw. Ronaldo isn’t soft. Bernardo Silva is tenacious. Etc.
Felix was very creative. But so wasy 2 year old coloring on the wall with crayons.
João was the next best thing when he was 12 and he thought he already made and now campaigns on that.
😂🤣Lol, both are talented by not consistent enough. But love them both hope Feliz stay.
I saw that. He covered the right side, provided another body to support Walker.
That’s Pulisic.
Hopefully Felix isn’t Leao II….having to be benched for not tracking back on defense.
That’s a valid argument. Felix doesn’t track back enough or help in transition. That is something he will have to get better at if he wants any chance of staying at Milan. Conceicao will crawl all up is @$$ about it if he keeps it up.
Milan are allowed to play bad as long they end up winning. There is no glory if they play brilliantly and loose.
Maximum points from each game what matters !!!
This is true but I guess the sentiment is if they play poorly they are only going to win so many games. Hence the amount of ties they have and the difficulty they have beating teams that are the bottom of the table.
People want to see progress in a positive way.
Not just today but in alot of games he’s open/ I think there is a bit of selfishness on this team.
That was surely the entertaining show, from the dull first half to the red card then Empoli’s red card and then our demolition.
I get Conceição’s idea to rest important players given our tight calendar, but I feel we essentially wasted an entire half with an 11 where only Félix and Reijnders had a minimum of creativity. All the others were essentially cones when it comes to creativity. During the second half, aside from some weird moments, we essentially show the difference in quality between us and Empoli. Good subs by the coach since all the first 3 either scored or assisted.
Maignan: wasn’t tested and in the end we conceded no goal so OK.
Walker: I’ll give him R for reassuring. Wasn’t particularly impressive but you feel we finally have a right back who knows what he is doing and helped his teammates in dire moments.
Théo: Perhaps after the winter where apparently only Como came from him, he started to think that if he wants big teams to go after him, he has to show some big games as well.
Pavlović: Was ok overall, but not very reassuring and not as good as the last 2 games.
Tomori: vintage Tomori 🔥🔥🔥. After 2 very good games, he perhaps started to feel weird and decided to get reckless again. I feel a bit bad for him though because that action was actually offside and Conceição should probably have taken him off after the yellow.
Reijnders: not terrible but not great either, again. Good thing though, he was subbed early.
Fofana: the difference between an overworked Fofana and an overworked Reijnders is that the latter can at least save face sometimes with a goal or a good shot. Fofana is recently more of a liability than an asset.
Musah: Usual himself, although he looked better in the second half as a pivot.
Jimenez: Didn’t build on his Roma performance and was more frustrated and clumsier overall.
Abraham: had barely any impact.
Félix: Not an impressive game but at some point the only danger came from him and he did well retaining the ball. Of course he telegraphed that chip in the later part of the game.
Giménez: Didn’t take too long to score a goal with a terrific finish that neither Morata or Abraham ever shown. Hopefully more will come
Leão: impactful half with many opportunities and a terrific header.
Pulisic: what more to say, the 2 goals were his work. The second best Milan player recently.
The goalpost: the 6th hidden transfer and the most important Milan player recently.
Okay, I’ll bite. If Pulisic is second best milan player who is #1?
Recently? Reijnders.
He said that already. The goalpost.
Ugh… stopped reading when he said pulisic was second player. Thanks.
re-read the last line…
Didn’t look pretty at all but 3 points are 3 points.
Everything is way too slow, players keep the ball way too long and try to go 1v1 instead of making the simple pass to a teammate. A lot of arrogance and selfishness. Joao Felix was the main culprit.
Abraham needs to shoot in the opening minutes instead of taking extra touch. I watched Retegui who takes a first touch shot no matter the angle while Milan players always overcomplicate everything.
Musah should only play in the middle, while Jimenez should be on the right in 442.
The ref was awful. Empoli should have had a red card in the first few minutes for the tackle on Walker, and Tomori 1st yellow was not yellow.
Great game by Pulisic, created both goals. Great attack on the ball by Leao on the goal. Outside of the goal, he didn’t do anything else right. Just like Felix arrogance and selfishness.
Good 1st goal by Gimenez who looks very left foot dominant just like Felix who is very right foot dominant. Awful miss by Felix.
Walker, Theo, Pavlovic were very good.
Keep getting 3 points.
On to Feyenord.
If any thing Leao is too selfless. The amount of times when he shouldn’t have passed but taken a shot instead is ridiculous
People forget that. Last year he created the most chances on the ream, this season he is second 4 behind Pulisic.
This is a comment on this game, not Leao’s career.
But we have fanboys coming out with their usual comment “how can you say he is selfish, do you remember what happened last year?”
If you say that Theo has been Milan’s worst player this season, right away someone says how 3 years ago he helped Milan win the scudetto.
Bennacer is deadwood. Oh how can you say that when he was great in 2020 all he need is to get that form back.
No fanbase lives in the past more than Milan’s.
Literally this article is about players ratings on the Empoli- Milan game.
He was selfish and arogant, just like Felix. Outside of the goal he did nothing right but trying to dribble, holding on to the ball instead of passing it and losing the ball. Even Pulisic was frustrated because on few occasions he made the run but Leao didn’t pass the ball.
And Leao should not be taking shots because the chances are higher for him to hit a fan in the 2nd tier than the goal.
Zzzzzzzzzz
Say, hypothetically, that in the future we make the Champions League final against Liverpool. Leão then scores a hat trick and Milan wins the game 3-0 and the trophy.
It is GUARANTEED that in these circumstances, Z’s comment will be: “Leão was a disaster. Other than the three goals, he did nothing right.”
Didn’t look pretty at all but 3 points are 3 points.
^^ thanks for the reminder I needed it.
Jimenez is definitely the Cf that we have been missing for some time. Felix definitely adds some much needed creativity to our game. However, we need an upgrade from fofana and find reinders his proper position in that midfield. , he has talent. We still rely a lot on the wings. 1st half was a mess. Leao, puli, Jimenez added quality in our game. Absolutely awful refs. Congrats to everyone for the 3 points. We are 3 points closer to CL. Weak midfield still, but the new additions have made us definitely a bit more competitive.
Think you mean Gimenez.
Not the J version
Pulisic remains the best attacking player of this team, and if I dare to say he is the best player. The hype around Leao isn’t funny anymore and if not for the brilliance of pulisic we’d be walking from this match with 1 point. These players are overdoing and complicating things, the simple passes are not made and even when made they are awful and incomplete, I don’t know if the coach can instill accuracy or change their decision making on and off the ball. Leao is worse in the aforementioned cus his decision making after beating his man is only about 10% better then Musa’s. These have been the issues.
Mussa and Leao have the lower soccer iq on the team. But but boy they can run fast. (sarcasm)
It’s a bit unfair to say Fofana had a rest IMO, he still played both midweek fixtures either side of the Inter game and the Zagreb one was particularly hard work. Glad to see Musah playing well in the middle, it’s where he’ll offer us the best value and I hope Chukwueze still gets game time on the right. Hopefully Musah and Bondo will allow Fofana to get a proper 10 day rest at some point in the future.
Tomori I’ll just about give a pass to. At least we should be able to navigate Verona at home without him. It seems crazy that if he got a red for being last defender then VAR would have saved him but it can’t because it was a second yellow… Still, he can feel very fortunate that the Empoli lad was daft enough to be sent off too.
Glad to see Pulisic be right at his best and glad you chose him for MotM (although I’d have allowed it for Theo too), after a couple of quiet weeks and rumours of him not getting along with the boss, it was good to see his usual work rate and end product combination.
Bad first half. Sarge needs to get his act together in regards to his starting lineups and how we start games. It’s becoming bothersome. At this point I’m not sure if we’re being let down by the coach or by the quality of our backups. Maybe it’s a bit of both.
However we did look like the team that was going to win as soon as the second half started (ie when Leao and Puli were in the game….that tells us alot about the quality of our when the second string play) and then the red card almost made life impossible.
Thank goodness in keeping with how atrocious the referee was he sent an Empoli player off. First off that ref should never again ref in Serie A, he’s not up to scratch…and I’m not just talking call against us, there were even calls that should have gone Empoli’s way that didn’t get called. Secondly I didn’t realize you can get a yellow card from a VAR check. I thought it was for red card offenses. So he gave a yellow from a VAR check 🤷♂️, not sure if anyone knows better the rules around that. This was one of those refs where I fear if our player sneezed they’d get sent off.
Anyways, 3 huge points. I’d wish we were more dominant. Clean sheet is an excellent bonus even if we did it the hard way. Happy that Gimi got his goal but Felix could have wrapped it up when he was 1v1 with the keeper. Didn’t like the call on Tomori as Colombo was a country mile offside so I get the slackness of the challenge but still. MOTM Puli and Leao, they both changed things massively. On to the next one..
You cannot use VAR solely to see if it is a yellow. But if you are checking VAR for something else and discover a yellow it can be issued.
Ok thanks 👍 for the clarification. Did not realize that
So then what happens with the Tomori red. Is it because it’s a second yellow and not a straight red that the reason why VAR didn’t intervene…even though the play that caused him a red was offside ? I guess it’s because it’s a yellow offence that’s why no review, regardless of the linesman getting the call incorrectly first. I think they need to review the rules around that esp second yellows, or maybe have a coaching challenge or similar
How goofball refs like this are still allowed anywhere near a pitch with a whistle and pack of cards in their pocket is beyond me…
ONE MOTM ……… PULISIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea if I had to pick one then yes Puli. Looking back at it now I’d say yes Puli. He set up both Leao and Gimi, but we also need to finish to get the 3 points. Both were so dangerous when they came on. Totally changed the complexion of the game
Such a workhorse. Never complains. Injured or not, always runs his @$$ off and helps in offense and defense. Captain level contributions …
Incredible player. Even today he was not 100% clearly but he still managed to deliver the goods.
He produces the goods!
He’s not all flash and frills, he’s efficient. Now I’m not comparing them but Messi was the same
@SJF that’s why I said in the other article, his status shouldn’t be questioned. Don’t care if he’s going thru stuff we’ve known about his commitment and heart he pours into the team. He has a huge bank of goodwill in my books. I just hope we can manage his minutes well so that he doesn’t get injured or overused
The only thing that matters is the result at the end of the match and Sarge is doing a great job.
Collective rating: 4.5
Milan was much stronger compared to some other games. But let’s not forget in attack we had Jimenez and Abraham. Abraham is not creative. If he used Musah on right and Felix on left we would sound more stronger but than he don’t have 3 in the middle. Bennacer is missing piece at least until Ruben Loftus come back.
Oh yeah loftus will make a difference. He should have followed ben.
RLC should have been sold not Benny, we need him, midfield is a disaster
Neither RLC nor Benny were ultimately good enough for a strong midfield. No qualms about Benny leaving – never the same player after the injuries. Same as RLC.
If we do pul Ricci off in the summer, this team will take such a huge leap in quality that we won’t ever miss Benny or RLC. Ever.
Bennacer demanded an exit.
There wasn’t much choice for the club
Conceicao wanted a problem and he got a problem. Making problem out of nothing. Everyone knew that line up from first half can’t do anything.
Also,this referee deservees a prison,they should sue him,but not to the footbal federation but to the court as every other criminal.
Felix will make for some good times, but he doesn’t do defense and will have to earn his starts. The margins are too thin to f around. I bet Conceicao will get more out of him in the 6 month loan.
This GEMENEZ is too much.Honestly with this guy,we can win UCL and coppa italia.The guy that single-handedly handled bayern in champion league.He also scored the only goal against Lille in UCL before he got injured and feyenord was destroyed by lille.This coach should stop playing tomori.He is not consistence.
Happy to take the 3points and forget my “edge of the seat” moments in the first half. Why we have to make it so difficult is beyond me…at some point we will run out of rabits to pull out of the hat if we don’t learn to kill games early on.
I’m still rubbing my eyes we actually came away with a win against a bottom of the table side.. Apparently Conceisao only needs 45min unlike other coaches..
Yea but terrible 1st halves have become his calling card of late.
Puli once again proving to be the difference maker but the lack of reciprocation in creating chances by the team is worrisome. Multiple times he was open in the box but passes weren’t made. Santi is the true striker Milan needed. Felix has the skills but needs the finish added to his game.
Maignan 6. Not better than a pass because despite the clean sheet, he was badly beaten twice; once, saved by the post, and the other one, saved by Walker.
Walker 7.5. Excellent, saved a goal that was 100% certain for Empoli, solid performance that again confirms how much of an upgrade to the RB position Walker is.
Tomori 7, had to rescue a mistake by Pavlovic earning a sacrificial yellow. Then collected a completely unjustified second yellow after a clear offside spotted by the line ref and the entire world, but was still inexplicably thoroughly ignored by the main ref. Preposterous. Other than for these two yellows, Tomori defended well.
Pavlovic 5.5, not a good game for him after he had recent excellent games. Imprecise and mistake-prone in first half and one of his mistakes earned Tomori a yellow. Improved in second half and stopped an important attack by Empoli that could have complicated things, but still, not enough for a pass.
Theo 7, another good game, that’s 3 in a row, good in defense and dynamic in offense; it does seem like the old Theo is finally back.
Musah 6, his usual good things and bad things, still gets a pass because nothing major came out of his mistakes and he had his usual great effort.
Fofana 5.5, a bad game from the Frenchman, correctly subbed out, missing passes.
Reijnders 6, discreet game but without anything bad, gets a pass
Joao Felix 6.5, again very dynamic and inspired with lots of creativity; his companions are having some trouble understanding his plays and this should improve as they get more used to him. However I deduct at least 0.5 from him for the diving correctly spotted by the ref with a yellow, and for missing a sitter at the end. It did seem like he thought he was offside (he wasn’t) then didn’t commit enough to that play, thus the miss. Still, he was whiny with the ref, risking another yellow/red, then Conceição correctly yanked him out, probably afraid of another player getting expelled.
Jimenez, 6. Tried hard but a bit imprecise. There was a particular attack where he should have passed but was a bit of a ball hog. He had a case for a PK on him, not given. Gets a pass for all the effort.
Abraham, 4.5. Milan’s worst player tonight. Unlike the Roma game, didn’t do anything right except arguably earn a PK that wasn’t given by the horrible ref. Correctly subbed out.
Substitutes
Pulisic 8, MOTM. Two fantastic assists, and very incisive; transformed the game when he came in. Deservedly got the official MOTM award and I grant him the same.
Rafa, 6.5, some mistaken plays but compensated for them with a gorgeous header that opened the score, and had a couple of other decent actions.
Gimenez, 7, a bit imprecise, still seems rusty, but then scored a golazo. Welcome to Milan!
Thiaw, 6.5, didn’t have the time to show a lot but came in after injury and was again solid with no mistakes.
Terracciano, not enough seen from him for a vote.
Mister Conceição, 6.5. His three second half subs won the game for us, with 2 assists by Puli, 1 goal by Rafa, and 1 goal by Gimenez. Unlike the Derby when he got cold feet and became too defensive in his subs with the team actually worsening and conceding late, this time he was bolder and kept believing after the unfair red card. Then he was also wise in yanking out Felix who was having a good game but was risking another red by whining too much (he probably still doesn’t know that Italian refs have fragile egos and tend to give yellows to players who complain), and recomposing the CB position with Thiaw coming in. After the mercato which was reportedly heavily influenced by his wishes, it does seem like Milan is clearly improving. Of course we still need more consistency but this was a good week with a draw in the Derby which Inter were favorites to win, a destruction of Roma, and a fabulous second half in a difficult and violent game under the rain with a ref that made grave mistakes against Milan. Still, I deducted 0.5 points from him for not taking Tomori out after the first yellow otherwise I could have granted him a 7. It is true that our first halves have been bad which suggest poor preparation but with the incredibly congested calendar he hasn’t had a lot of time to prepare and he does seem to react well to what is going on, resulting is us usually playing better in second halves. People criticized him for a weak first half lineup but we have Feyenoord coming up and with this congested calendar, if he doesn’t rotate, players will get injured.
Referee Pairetto, Zero. What the hell was that??? That violent foul on Walker in first half deserved a straight red and didn’t even produce a yellow. Then Tomori got sent out after a clamorous offside that should have waived the foul and the card. Arguably we suffered a couple of PKs which weren’t given but that’s not even what upset me given that both were a bit controversial but the two huge mistakes above could have made us lose the game. Most of the time the decisions seem to go Empoli’s way. At least he did expel an Empoli player but likely only after pressure from the VAR crew because at first he wasn’t impressed but the images of the clear intentional kick on Gimenez without the ball didn’t leave much choice to Pairetto so I’m not even sure if I credit him with some merit here. And he actually by rule could’t have added a yellow for Gimenez in that play; VAR is just for reds. Terrible overall officiating. Serie A really needs to do something about the refs; they are by far the worst refs in all top European leagues.
Luigi, I appreciate your comments here. You put effort in it. you are very constructive, even when opinions sometimes differ.
Martin Bernhard is Class too!
Forza Milan!
Agreed. Definitely 2 reasons to read the comment section.
Thirded 💯 Luigi and Martin B always have detailed discussions, very useful. Probably the two I read the comment section mostly.
………
I’ll add that we need to not get too distracted by a YouTube highlight goal from Joao Felix in the coppa. Ultimately he has been deemed surplus at several top clubs, he’s a luxury item rather than a player you can rely on. All the media chatter about Milan looking to make a permanent deal already… nonsense. He has to earn it in the coming months, I fear we’ll be too unbalanced playing him with the main trio upfront (Rafa-Santi-Pulisic)
I’d rather we have some solidity behind them with 3 genuine midfielders, as that front 3 could be devastating and is well balanced. Joao has a lot to prove imho.
Glad we got the 3 points today, onwards to Feyenoord!!
Forza Milan
What a weird circle jerk
You wanna in on my left or my right. Right has more callouses if that is your thing honey.
Geebers, can’t pay a compliment to a guy (Luigi) who clearly makes an effort at quality anqlyais and admits when he is wrong?
Get a juice box and tell your mom she loves you.
You two need a room, yikes. More love than Pioli and Krunic
@Kayson @MyKidPlayedSoccer @Giorgio Marsano
I appreciate your nice comments about my contributions. Thanks!
2 worrying signs from the new signings but we all know they are the best the club can get at the minute: 1) Gimenez scored but instead of going one and one as his right side was wide open he needed to change his feet and try to score from a more difficult position and he luckily succeeded. Can’t he not touch the ball with his right foot at this price tag? He scored a nice goal but the whole decision making was stupid and would not work against a top team. 2) How disrespectful Felix was with that chip? How bad is his mentality?
First of all, Gimenez reportedly uses well both his feet. So, this player joined a week ago. Played 75 minutes and added one assist and one goal. Just joined a new country, a new league, a new language that he doesn’t speak, a new coach, new teammates, was coming back from injury, and in 75 minutes makes two goal contributions, and you still heavily criticize him? So his decision making was stupid but… he scored. For me, that negates your judgmental idea of a stupid decision-making. It was actually a golazo.
As for Felix, he clearly thought he was offside (he wasn’t) and he took a while to believe and get going, the ball got too close to the goalkeeper, he did finish poorly but I think if he had committed to the play earlier without thinking he was offside, he would have scored. Besides, he made many other good things today. But you focus on his “mentality” although throughout the game he demonstrated a lot of effort.
Whoa. Some “fan” you are… We win a difficult away game under heavy rain and a heavy pitch, playing against 12 players (the Empoli players + the horrible ref), we continue to show a lot of fighting spirit which was missing earlier in the season… and all you have to say is that a player made a stupid decision (that resulted in a golazo…) and another player who bled our colors throughout the game has bad mentality…
Gimenez does have Italian citizenship… not sure if he actually speaks Italian though. If he didn’t represent Mexico, I’m sure he would have been selected for Italy.
people love to criticize on here don’t they? It was a bad pitch, with a awful referee… and we had grinta to win… and win comfortably in the end.
I’m being overly critical right now too. I don’t like getting jacked in every first half
That said the pitch is bad for both teams. So is the weather. So was the ref.
The pitch being bad for both teams is still a bit relative. This was Empoli’s home. They are probably used to their own pitch and know where the main holes are.
The weather, also helps the less technical team as the more technical one (Milan) has fewer opportunities to exercise their better skills. The heavy weather lowers the common denominator and this favors the weaker team (Empoli).
The ref, I disagree even more with what you said, because this ref’s decision went almost all Empoli’s way. First, the criminal foul on Walker was absolutely a straight red and is routinely called as such by other refs and other leagues. Empoli would have played a man down for most of the game. The ref didn’t even give a yellow there! Then, he didn’t confirm the obvious offside although his line assistant raised the flag, and instead gave a second yellow to Tomori, sending him off. And there were two very good cases for penalty kicks that should have been awarded to Milan but weren’t. The one decision that went against Empoli, their red card, needed VAR intervention to pressure the ref into doing the right thing. So, this ref seemed to really have a pro-Empoli bias. Therefore, no, the bad ref was not bad for both teams. He was significantly worse for Milan than for Empoli.
Did you see Retegui put four across the line for Atalanta?
I read a long interview with Gimenez. He confirmed that he does not speak Italian but said he will learn and has already looked for a teacher to give him lessons; said he hopes he will learn fast. He said he is an Italian citizen by ancestry with an Italian passport but unfortunately still doesn’t speak Italian. I appreciate his willingness to make an effort to acquire the language as soon as possible. By the way, the whole interview was interesting; he seems like a very nice person.
Yes, this was the kind of game that normally we’d have drawn or lost under the previous head coaches. I think that Conceição has added grinta to this team, and I think this winter mercato will pay off for us. We haven’t even used Bondo and barely used Sottil for a couple of minutes, and we have already improved with 7 points collected out of 9 after the end of the mercato.
It might still be difficult to get to top 4 and secure the next UCL spot. Too much damage was done by Fonseca. Conceição jumped into a sinking ship and is trying to redress it, with mixed results but predominantly good results. Conceição has had a few failures which are normal for a coach jumping into a badly constructed team, but overall his impact has been positive.
I am confident that next season we will have a more competitive team after Conceição has the opportunity to influence the summer mercato too, and the opportunity to work with the players in pre-season.
I don’t agree about the Gimenez part, going right is what a lot of strikers do, the end result is that you get close down by a defender and goalkeeper which limit your shooting angle. He choose to turn and wrong footed the defender and get himself a clear path to shoot which he did very well, to place a perfect shot. I am actually impressed by this move, this is why he score a lot of goals. He doesn’t hold the ball for too long, he either shoot or pass within a reasonable time. He is really a top notch player IMO, 35m is a steal for a player like that.
All these long posts… 3 points in the bag is what matters. Let’s go!
I have no idea what some people expect from football.
We laboured in the first half even though we were still the better side, by a mile.
Second half we looked like we were going to destroy them until the sending off and even then we were playing well a man down. Once the numbered evened we completely overpowered them.
Conditions were dreadful and these players need time to gel but we were more dynamic than we’ve looked all year.
Also, Musah is better at Fofana’s role than Fofana is.
People complaining about Gimenez even? I can’t with this site lol. With fans like this who needs rivals?
It’s strange… Him and Felix barely stepped off the plane and already made a difference, assisting and scoring but it’s not good enough apparently…
Pavlovic is probably the only person with a negative IQ number
Not as negative as yours for sure.
Since Sarge took over (I stand to be corrected), most of our first halves have been poor, unbearable to watch, annoying, lackluster, no drive or game plan. It has mostly been the line ups, play players out of positions then come 2nd half, brings on the right players or go gun blazing throwing caution to the wind just to secure a point or win. So far I can’t see a concrete game plan when we play. Hope we get it together quickly cause we now have a good attacking force.
Stop complaining! Would you rather that we play a great first half and then we lose the match? The only thing that matters is winning.
Great reult and good game by Milan. Don’t know why people are complaining. We got a lot of starters to rest before CL, basically conceded only one half chance, and completely dominated the second half. Yes, it wasn’t always flashy but we got the job done, away from home, with subpar conditions and strange refereeing. I’m happy.
And Empoli is known to park the bus at home. It’s not always easy for any team to get away with more than a draw there.
Yeh I’m just happy we beat a low-block bottom of the table team for once – like you say, away, and with a ref who wanted to be the star of the show… Sergio saw what wasn’t working in the first half, changed it for the second and we came away 2-0 winners.. Job done, let’s move onto CL..
That Jimenez guy is promising. Yes, he needs to learn a lot, but he is still very young and has played a small number of games. His speed and continuous efforts are good signs for a guy of his age.
This game was in danger of following our Jekyll and Hyde form. Sergio has to improve the first half performances. Too inconsistent.
Tomori’s form may alternate but his proclivity for making overly aggressive/rash challenges is his liability. Pavlo has those in him too, but if I am to offload one CB to replace in the summer I’d pick Tomori. Pavlo has a lot more upside.
Felix adds a lot of unpredictability and creativity up front but he HAS to get more serious and clinical. He shouldn’t treat these 6mo’s as a vacation.
We are clearly more dangerous with Leao/The Saint/puli and Felix but our midfield still feels unbalanced especially with Reijnders in midfield. I want to see what Bondo offers as we need to rotate Musah and Fofana more.
The Saint offers exactly what 30mil+bonuses get you – an actual goal scoring threat and clinical shots. Abraham despite the brace against Roma is still a back material at best. And even for that position we could do better. Happy for the Mexican – hoping for many more to come.
3points are 3points even if they were far from convincing. But seeing as to how our season started with all the changes, we just need to focus on getting the point any way we can.
That’s true, “3 points are 3 points”. Hope we reach CL spot. And the clowns learn from their mistakes, buy quality players that would benefit the team. Not just buy whoever is on a discount. Hope midfield strengthening is their next target. A fofana upgrade and an AM should be their priority for the summer.
“This game was in danger of following our Jekyll and Hyde form. Sergio has to improve the first half performances. Too inconsistent.”
True but consider it like this: we are playing every 3 days. Conceicao said he literally had only 40 minutes with the players to prepare for Roma. Given that we had to travel to Empoli even though it’s relatively nearby, he probably had even less time to prepare for Empoli.
Also, he needs to rotate, as many players look tired and we have the essential Feyenoord game midweek. So, he had to sit some players. He didn’t hesitate in bringing them in for the second half, in order to win the game.
I’m also happy that even though there is a case for saying that Conceição has made some lineup mistakes (normal for a coach just hired who joined midseason and still doesn’t know particularly well his group of players), at least he often reacts well to what is going on and makes halftime adjustments (not always; was unable to pull it off in Zagreb). This wasn’t the case with Pioli or Fonseca who seemed to have no clue about how to correct the team for a better second half.
After this game, I am convinced Tammy is not the right guy for us. He keep coming back to help to play the ball but he doesn’t know how to go forward and create space for himself, Felix can’t even find a clear path to pass the ball to him. Tammy only work against certain teams which play more openly, he can only be a backup and should not cost more than 20m.
Milan had one objective tonight. Win! that’s it! nothing else matters!
I can’t remember the last time I saw this many comments on a SM article. Everyone is back onboard 🔴⚫
They are all fine weather fans.
gimenes and joao felix thank upu and welvcome to milan
I’m glad for the 3 points. Great finishes from Rafa and Santi. Pulisic is class and works hard. One annoying aspect to me is Pulisic could’ve had a goal or two if Rafa and Félix look up and make the correct pass instead of dribbling too much. Also Félix needs to score there. The chip worked last game but just bury it. Also why does Conceciao keep taking Pulisic off of taking corners from the left side? I wonder if he will take him off of PKs now that Santi is here? Would be dumb but Sarge hasn’t impressed me much since winning the trophy. All that being said I’m excited to see how these next few months play out.
The only reason for not taking corners is to have him around the ball in the box as he has a knack for finding the ball. But I agree its kinda strange. Only reason he stops taking PKs is if he misses (or Tomori steals the ball again).
Hi guys, just wanted to say one thing – Colombo’s “offside” is actually probably not an offside, and that’s why the Tomori second yellow stood. I also thought Colombo was miles offside and Tomori was unjustly booked, but after rewatching the moment when the empoli player passed the ball to Colombo, it seems Walker was keeping the latter onside. Just watch the highlights and pause at that moment to see for yourself. So, I think the ref didn’t screw up that call…
And FYI for those who think the ref ignored the sideline ref’s offside flag – the latter was signalling for a foul by Tomori, not offside. He was waving his flag furiously.
For Empoli’s red card I was a bit surprised though, yes he kicked upwards but it didn’t seem like he got much of Gimenez to warrant SUCH a big reaction, thought Santi is super religious like a Kaka and presumably a very honest guy, but it felt like I was seeing a scheming Theo character instead lol. His actions did help us restore parity man wise yes but hmm, I see him in a different light now…
The first half was terrible, despite the win. And it’s disappointing seeing Milan play like this. Sometimes, I wonder, ‘are these guys not getting paid’? Despite all the money spent, Milan midfielders are not playing at top level. Game after game now, our midfielders get the lowest ratings. Conceicao has to create a better style of play. We need the wins, no doubt, but, we also want to enjoy watching our team play.
Sure he rested most of our starters but I don’t like first half struggles which are becoming a norm under Sergio. It’s like we always need a push, like being a goal down, that we finall start to play.
Also, I don’t really like this 442 which is 424 evidently. It’s maybe effective in our case when we are trailing behind or playing bluntly and need that result. But too risky to use from the start against big guns. And Puli is somehow isolated from the goal and maybe it’s just me but I notice he’s not really enjoying this deeper role on the flank. I still think 433 or 343 is the best with this lot.
Love the work and chemistry between Puli and Santi. They are level headed and down to earth lads and it shows on the field. Reijnders in same category. Hope to see more from this duo up front but Puli needs to play closer to the goal.
I’ve to disagree with the part overly concerned about the defense. It’s what you get for going high pitch and leaving 4 or sometimes 2 defenders on their on. At Pep Barca’s best, they were still conceding 1, 2 goals regularly, and the Tomori red card accident type wasn’t so uncommon as you’d see the Barca players pulling a shirt or something for a professional foul when exposed and losing possession. Tomori does make mistakes but not so much on that red which wasn’t offside btw( Walker played the attacker on).. the defense was asked to go high and play the offside trap.. exactly what Tomori did there. And we won’t be able to name many CBs that could have recovered that move before the attacker was any close to the penalty box. I like all of our defenders, they all have their bad sides, a tactic suits one defender a bit more than the other, so sometimes Gabbia or Terra may be better, and so no matter how badly Tomori seems to be messing up, IMHO this sort of defending suits his characteristics more than the others. Our issues at the back are more to the structure of defending than the individuals – Some defending securities are sacrificed for offending. Any defender would have less troubles defending with a low block and with more numbers. That’s also the reason I don’t necessarily see for example Bijol being as good at PSG or with Conceicao and the guy is a good defender. Again we have a very good set of defenders and of course we could improve at the back but I don’t think to the point of what some people want.
Heads are exploding in CONCACAF with the lead photo. Puli and Santi hugging? Love it for Milan looking forward.