AC Milan were held to a goalless draw in our Coppa Italia semi-final first leg clash with Inter at San Siro on Tuesday night.
The Rossoneri had the better chances in the encounter, but ultimately failed to show a clinical side in the final third to take advantage which in turn could prove to be costly when the two sides meet again.
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We now head into the second leg next month with the tie finely poised, with the hope that we’ll be able to control the game again in a similar fashion, but importantly, also take our opportunities this time round when they come to secure a place in the Final.
AC Milan player ratings vs Inter:
Mike Maignan, 6 – Shielded well by his teammates who produced an organised and disciplined performance to prevent Inter from creating dangerous openings. Alert when called into action.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6.5 – A solid defensive performance as he nullified Perisic’s threat down that flank with a focused and determined display. Could have added a bit more in an attacking sense, but a good showing nonetheless.
Fikayo Tomori, 7 – Top performance as he didn’t allow Dzeko or those that came on a second to relax on the ball with his aggressive style of defending. Continues to impress as he made it 50 games in a Milan shirt.
Alessio Romagnoli, 6 – Was having a great game up until he was forced off with an injury. The hope is that it’s not anything serious as Milan can ill-afford more absentees in that area.
Theo Hernandez, 6 – Made a couple of bursting runs forward from defence and looked a serious threat at times. Couldn’t quite find the finish to match and his influence slowly waned as the game went on in the second half.
Franck Kessie, 6.5 – Worked hard and tried to impose himself in midfield. Still looks a step short in terms of the pace of the game which led to some troubling moments for us defensively, but a solid shift against difficult opposition.
Ismael Bennacer, 7 – Really strong display as not only did he successfully break things up and put himself about from a defensive perspective, he was also quick and decisive with his passing from midfield into the feet of our attacking players to get us moving up the pitch with good pace and tempo.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 5.5 – Always puts in a shift for the team, but the quality is lacking and that has always been the main issue with the Belgian winger. Had a couple of chances that he has to put away at this level, and Milan really do need more in that role particularly in big games like these where key moments like those make all the difference.
Rade Krunic, 6 – Did his job well in terms of shutting down Brozovic, but similarly to Saelemaekers, the pair didn’t offer enough going forward in an attacking sense and that’s a familiar story with Krunic. If he can find a balance and provide more quality on the ball, then he would have a stronger case to keep his place in the XI.
Rafael Leao, 6 – Looked a big threat for us in the first half, but he often got his final decision wrong, whether it was a shot or cross. His recent form had suggested that he was developing beyond these problems, but there will still be inconsistency along the way and he’ll want to improve on this outing.
Olivier Giroud, 6 – As always, he fought for everything up top on his own and showed good control and technical quality to bring his teammates into play even if he couldn’t provide much of a direct goal threat himself. One layoff for Saelemaekers in particular needed a better finish, but he did as much as he could to help us win this one.
Substitutions:
Pierre Kalulu, 6.5 – Continues to show an impressive level of maturity and growth this season. Not overawed by coming in and perhaps needing time to adapt to the pace and tempo of the game. Settled in well and produced a solid defensive effort.
Ante Rebic, 4.5 – His struggles since his injury continue. Looks off the pace completely at times with his misplaced passes in particular drawing the ire of the Milan faithful.
Messias Junior, 5.5 – Offered more of a threat down our right flank than Saelemaekers, but similarly didn’t have an end product to make a decisive contribution, which is becoming a regular frustration with him.
Brahim Diaz, 6 – Added a bit more spark and creativity to our play after coming on, although his teammates couldn’t add a finishing touch to make it more impactful.
Davide Calabria, N/A
