AC Milan secured a 2-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday night and in turn sealed Champions League qualification for next season in the process.
The Rossoneri needed to collect all three points in Bergamo to be sure of a top-four finish in Serie A this season, and a brace of Franck Kessie penalties ensured that we did our part to finish second in the standings.
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In what was a difficult encounter as expected against a strong Atalanta side, Milan battled brilliantly to finally achieve our objective of returning to Europe’s top table and it’s hoped that it is now the start of a process where we do so consistently year in and year out.
Milan player ratings vs Atalanta
Gianluigi Donnarumma, 6 – Did well to command his area with deliveries into the box, but was otherwise largely untroubled during the game.
Davide Calabria, 7 – A solid shift from our right-back as he kept things tight defensively and provided energy to get up and down the right flank. Tired in the latter stages, but showed great resilience to keep going.
Simon Kjaer, 8 – An absolute rock in the Milan defence. Dealt with Duvan Zapata’s threat with minimal fuss throughout and marshalled the backline well with his leadership and experience.
Fikayo Tomori, 7.5 – Another top performance from the Chelsea loanee who has surely done enough to convince the hierarchy that to sign him outright this summer. Got caught out a couple of times, but recovered well.
Theo Hernandez, 7 – Good defensive display and won the penalty which in turn broke the deadlock. Wasn’t at his best going forward, but did enough to help us get over the line.
Ismael Bennacer, 5.5 – Struggled in this one as he was sloppy in possession and seemed to struggle with the tempo at times too. A full pre-season and staying healthy this summer will hopefully help him rediscover his best form after an injury-plagued campaign.
Franck Kessie, 9 – A superb display. Unbelievable composure and class to hold his nerve and score twice from the penalty spot given what was at stake. A true leader in the middle of the pitch as he dominated and fought for every ball. Il Presidente led the way for us.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 6.5 – Had to focus on the defensive side of his game for this one as he tracked back well and helped Calabria down our right side. Sacrifice and hard work for the team.
Brahim Diaz, 6.5 – Similarly to Saelemaekers, his worth ethic was excellent as he battled for everything but couldn’t quite find the quality on the ball to make the difference as we struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in open play.
Hakan Calhanoglu, 6 – Same as above. Put in a shift defensively to help the team but again, not enough quality from him given he’s our chief creative spark in the side.
Rafael Leao, 6 – Not an easy task to lead the Milan line especially with a lack of service from the creative players behind him. Worked harder than usual and did well to win aerial battles at times, but wasn’t able to have much influence on the game before missing a big chance as his effort hit the post.
Substitutes:
Rade Krunic, 6 – A good shift to give us more presence and physicality in midfield to try and see out the game.
Soualiho Meite, 6.5 – Produced an excellent passage of play to break forward and put Leao in as he went on to hit the post. Similar to Krunic in helping us protect our lead.
Mario Mandzukic, N/A – A final appearance in a Milan shirt for the Croatian stalwart, as he did his bit in giving us a target up top to hit with our clearances.
Diogo Dalot, N/A – Provided some much-needed fresh legs on the right side as Calabria began to tire.
