AC Milan battled to a 1-1 draw with Atalanta on Sunday with Ismael Bennacer securing a share of the spoils for us in Bergamo with a stunning goal.
The Rossoneri fell behind after a deflected effort from Ruslan Malinovskyi beat Mike Maignan to break the deadlock, and although we continued to enjoy large periods of possession and control in the game, we couldn’t quite produce that quality needed in the final third to make it count.
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Fortunately, Bennacer stepped up in the second half and produced a superb strike to draw us level, and although we continued to push for a winner in the latter stages, we had to settle for a point in an enthralling contest between the two sides.
While it’s never easy to take something from Atalanta on the road, Stefano Pioli and the players may well feel disappointed that we didn’t make the most of the openings we created, but ultimately it’s a point earned and we’ll hope to continue to improve as the season goes on.
AC Milan player ratings vs Atalanta:
Mike Maignan, 6 – Stepped in when needed as Atalanta posed a threat as he put in another reliable performance, while he could do little about the goal after the deflection from Kalulu.
Davide Calabria, 7 – A top defensive shift from our captain as he was switched on throughout and didn’t allow Atalanta any joy down that flank. Faded towards the end and was replaced but not after putting in a gritty display full of character and resilience.
Pierre Kalulu, 6.5 – Unfortunate with the deflection on the goal we conceded, but was solid in defence up against Zapata as he used his physicality and pace well to limit the threat. Will be disappointed not to have scored at the other end.
Fikayo Tomori, 6.5 – Another positive outing as he showcased his defensive qualities from start to finish with his positioning, awareness and reading of the game while also keeping it tidy in possession.
Theo Hernandez, 6.5 – Played a key part in our tactical set-up to try and cause Atalanta problems as he pushed forward and tucked inside in an almost midfield role at times. Wasn’t quite able to be decisive while he also faded towards the end.
Sandro Tonali, 6 – Did well in both phases of the game as he broke play up to disrupt Atalanta’s movement in midfield while also keeping things ticking over in possession. Will also be frustrated that he didn’t do better with a big chance though.
Ismael Bennacer, 7.5 – A brilliant all-round performance. Aside from the goal which showed his class from an offensive perspective, he was excellent defensively too as he battled hard in the midfield scrap and was the engine room of this Milan team again. All-action, combative and tenacious, Bennacer is back close to his best again.
Messias Junior, 5 – Missed a huge opportunity just moments before Atalanta’s goal, and that could have changed the way the game developed entirely. Limited attacking influence as Milan’s problems on that right side persist.
Brahim Diaz, 5.5 – Worked hard for the team and tried to find pockets of space between the lines, but he couldn’t follow up his brilliant performance against Udinese and was largely quiet.
Rafael Leao, 6 – Always looking to give us an option and threat down that left side, but couldn’t quite make it work this time out. Whether it was his final ball or his own efforts on goal, it didn’t come off for Leao this weekend, and he was understandably frustrated with himself as he was replaced in the second half.
Ante Rebic, 5.5 – Made a promising start, but slowly faded out of the game as he struggled with a lack of service but also couldn’t quite influence the game through his own actions. Movement off the ball is key to open up space for others, but it didn’t work as desired on this occasion.
Substitutions:
Charles De Ketelaere, 6 – Didn’t quite get completely into the game, but once again he showed glimpses of his quality and it’s just a matter of time before he’s ready to start and showcase his full talent. With his creative quality and eye for a pass, he’ll undoubtedly have a big role to play for us.
Olivier Giroud, 5.5 – Still lacking match fitness and sharpness, as although he provided more of a target up top, he couldn’t get it to stick and struggled to get into dangerous positions to score.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 6 – Did well in the build up to Bennacer’s goal from the corner, and did a decent job after coming on to help us keep pushing to take something from the game.
Divock Origi, 6 – Posed a threat with his movement off the ball and showed great composure to open up a chance for himself in the box but was eventually denied by good defending.
Alessandro Florenzi, N/A
