Daniel Maldini and Alexis Saelemaekers were part of AC Milan’s second-half XI in the friendly against Rapid Wien yesterday evening. Surprisingly, perhaps, they impressed a lot and were among the best Rossoneri men on the pitch.
Paulo Fonseca divided the game into two XIs, giving 22 players a chance, and the second-half XI was by far the most impressive. It was also in the final 45 minutes that Milan scored their only goal, courtesy of the veteran Alessandro Florenzi.
Two more players that stood out, though, were Maldini and Saelemaekers. The latter was named the MOTM in our player ratings thanks to his creativity in the attacking phase. The Italian, meanwhile, got the assist for Florenzi’s goal and also combined really well with his teammates.
The interesting thing is that both of these players are expected to leave Milan this summer, and on a permanent basis as well. Maldini’s contract will expire next summer and Monza are keen, while Saelemaekers has attracted interest from the Premier League.
Milan might be having second thoughts about letting these players go, following the performances yesterday. On the other hand, the friendly asserted if not increased their value on the transfer window and the Rossoneri could thus end up cashing in more.