AC Milan began the new Serie A season with a 2-0 win at Bologna on Monday night, with goals from Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic securing all three points.
While there were some very positive signs from an attacking perspective as we played some excellent football in the final third, Stefano Pioli will know that there is still much to work on.
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From our ball retention and ability to control proceedings with possession to the balance in the side to avoid looking vulnerable defensively, there were plenty of positives but also areas in which we’ll have to improve.
Nevertheless, it was important to start the campaign positively, and we certainly did that with a clean sheet and three points as we now prepare to face Torino on Saturday.
AC Milan player ratings vs Bologna:
Mike Maignan, 7.5 – Made a few crucial saves to keep Bologna out in key moments in the game. Commanding in his box to deal with crosses that came in, and so the Frenchman played an important role in the win.
Davide Calabria, 5.5 – Had his troubles defensively and although he started well in a versatile role that saw him roam into different areas, whether it was fitness related or just the way the game played out, he did begin to struggle more as it went on.
Malick Thiaw, 6.5 – Solid defensive display as he got in blocks and stood up to the Bologna threat well. Accurate with his distribution out from the back, and so a positive outing for him.
Fikayo Tomori, 5.5 – Similar to Calabria in that he started well and kept things simple. However, mistakes began to creep into his performance and so he needs to tidy those up and maintain a high level consistently.
Theo Hernandez, 6 – Picked up an avoidable caution, and while he provided his injection of pace and directness in the first half to good effect, wasn’t quite able to keep that going after the break as things broke down too easily down that flank.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 6.5 – Positive Serie A debut overall, as although we perhaps lacked the necessary balance in midfield as a unit, he imposed himself well at times and always offered himself as an option while we were in possession. Tenacious and worked hard off the ball too in deeper areas.
Rade Krunic, 6 – A solid if not extravagant performance as he stuck to his job of protecting the backline and breaking up play, and he did it without any fuss. An important role in the win, but as noted above, Milan will need to find a better balance as a collective to control games better moving forward.
Tijjani Reijnders, 7.5 – Very impressive on his debut. Provided the assist for our opener as he did brilliantly to not give up on the cross and play it back into a dangerous area. Showed composure and quality in possession and worked hard off the ball as we saw his box-to-box ability.
Christian Pulisic, 8 – Linked up well with Giroud and showed some superb touches at times to beat his man and create openings. Capped off an excellent first outing for Milan with a stunning goal, as he produced a brilliant strike from distance to open his account and ultimately help make the win safe.
Olivier Giroud, 7.5 – Back to business for the Frenchman as he tucked home the opener to break the deadlock. Superb link-up play at times with his wonderful first touch and ability to lay the ball off into the path of his teammates. Still showing he’s capable of playing a crucial role for us this season.
Rafael Leao, 6 – Had a late chance as he did brilliantly before hitting the post, but that was the highlight in an otherwise average display compared to his usual high standards. Wasn’t as effective or threatening as we know he can be as he looked to be coasting at times rather than really putting his foot down, but it was good to see us find other ways to win without him and he’ll be back to his best next weekend no doubt.
Substitutes:
Noah Okafor, 5 – Didn’t have a great deal of involvement in the latter stages but important to get a run out as he continues to adapt.
Tommaso Pobega, 6 – Added fresh impetus with his energy and had an effort from distance but it was ultimately a comfortable save.
Pierre Kalulu, 6 – Added freshness and physicality in the closing stages to help us see out the win.
Samuel Chukwueze, 6 – Positive cameo appearance as he looked to make things happen on the ball.
Simon Kjaer, N/A
