AC Milan secured a 1-0 win over Genoa on Saturday, and despite an uninspiring performance, the Rossoneri move clear at the top of the Serie A table.
It was a disappointing display overall, as Milan lacked quality and inventiveness again in our attacking effort, and subsequently that led to a poor game.
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Nevertheless, we did pick up a clean sheet and three points, and particularly given the dramatic end to the clash with Mike Maignan being sent off and Olivier Giroud going in goal for the final minutes, it could prove to be a pivotal result.
It was Christian Pulisic’s goal that sealed our win, but as we now go into the international break, there is a lot for Stefano Pioli and his coaching staff to work on to ensure we’re more convincing moving forward.
AC Milan player ratings vs Genoa:
Mike Maignan, 6.5 – Made a crucial save in the second half to show his class and keep it goalless in a critical moment in the game. Given a red card late on though, and will now be suspended against Juventus.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6 – Solid if not extravagant, as he did his defensive job well and pushed forward when possible to add width. Used his experience well in a difficult game.
Malick Thiaw, 6.5 – Couple of mistimed tackles, but he did well to keep things tight at the back by snuffing out Genoa’s attacking threat and was a key presence in helping us get a clean sheet.
Fikayo Tomori, 7 – Another top performance as he’s in good form right now. Made important interventions, used his pace and reading of the game well to cut out threats, and so was pivotal in our defensive display.
Theo Hernandez, 5 – Picked up a silly yellow card in the first half that will see him miss the Juventus game, and wasn’t particularly effective getting forward in this one as he didn’t provide much quality or penetration down the left flank.
Yunus Musah, 7 – Promising again as he showed great energy and tenacity in the midfield scrap to give us a foothold in the game. Provided the cross for Pulisic’s goal, and he’s continuing to stake his claim for an extended run in the side.
Yacine Adli, 5.5 – Not as positive as in previous outings, as his defensive midfield deficiencies showed up in this one. Looks good distributing the ball and ticking possession over, but certain actions left us exposed and vulnerable as question marks were raised over his suitability to that role.
Tijjani Reijnders, 6.5 – Continues to showcase his excellent passing range and there’s always a great tempo about his play when in possession as he likes to get things moving quickly. Missed a couple of chances again though, and so it’s hoped that breakthrough isn’t far off as he’s getting into good positions but just missing the finish.
Samuel Chukwueze, 5.5 – Showed glimpses of quality and was certainly our brightest spark down that right side as he tried his best to make something happen. However, he’s still missing that end product and was replaced at half-time.
Luka Jovic, 5.5 – Improved in the second half, but struggled for much of the game due to a lack of quality service. Still settling and adapting to our style of play and so he needs to improve too, but good to see him get minutes and he’ll hopefully become more impactful with time.
Noah Okafor, 5.5 – Missed a good chance in the first half in an otherwise quiet performance, and he was another who came off at half-time as Pioli rang the changes.
Substitutes:
Rafael Leao, 6 – Went close to breaking the deadlock with a fine header, and added more impetus down our left flank, but couldn’t find the breakthrough himself on this occasion.
Christian Pulisic, 7.5 – Added energy and movement in the final third, but more importantly, scored the decisive goal to secure the win as he showed great touch and finish to score the winner.
David Calabria, 6 – Freshened things up on the right side in the latter stages, providing some good deliveries into the box too that caused Genoa issues.
Olivier Giroud, 7.5 – Limited in his impact up top as we continued to struggle to provide good service for our frontmen, but he was decisive late on with his heroics as a makeshift goalkeeper. Showed good awareness and commitment to prevent Genoa snatching a late equaliser after Maignan’s dismissal.
Davide Bartesaghi, N/A
