AC Milan secured a 2-1 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday night, as we maintained our 100% record to start the Serie A season.
Goals from Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao ensured we returned home from the capital with all three points, as despite a late deflected effort for the hosts, the Rossoneri were undoubtedly the better side on the whole.
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That in turn makes it three wins in three as we now head into the international break, and it’s a perfect start for Stefano Pioli and the players, particularly with the Derby della Madonnina next up after the break concludes.
With the Champions League also getting underway later this month, it promises to be a big test for us in the coming weeks, but it’s been a positive few weeks that will hopefully see us build confidence and momentum.
AC Milan player ratings vs Roma:
Mike Maignan, 6.5 – Alert when called upon and accurate with his distribution. Beaten by a big deflection for the goal and had a shaky moment or two in the latter stages, but a solid performance in general.
Davide Calabria, 7 – Provided the delivery for Leao’s goal and was smart with his movement as he drifts inside more centrally into midfield in possession before returning to the right side in the defensive phase. Perhaps could have done better to prevent the shot coming in for the goal, but positive overall.
Malick Thiaw, 7.5 – Excellent display as he was switched on throughout to make key interventions and was physically imposing. Composed in possession, another strong outing.
Fikayo Tomori, 5 – Perhaps his bookings were slightly harsh, but he needed to be smarter after the first caution and manage his aggressive defensive style better. Was predictable that the second yellow was coming, and he’ll now miss the derby next time out. As a permanent fixture in our backline, has to be more consistent and cut out the mistakes.
Theo Hernandez, 7 – Slow start to the game, but gradually became more influential with his pace and direct running down the left flank that started to cause Roma problems. Managed our lead well in key moments towards the end too.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 7.5 – A physically imposing and composed presence in midfield as he helped us gain a foothold and control the tempo. Did well to break forward and win the penalty for the all-important opening goal, a soft yellow card perhaps limited him before he made way due to the tactical tweak following Tomori’s dismissal.
Rade Krunic, 7 – Another under-the-radar impressive performance as he provided great protection for the defence with his ability to win possession back and disrupt Roma’s rhythm. Looked comfortable and confident on the ball too as he got himself out of tight situations before moving the ball quickly up the field.
Tijjani Reijnders, 7 – Put in another big shift with his energy and tenacity in midfield going box-to-box. His movement off the ball always either provides an option or opens up space for others, and so while he continues to impress, our midfield trio as a unit are finding a pivotal balance in both phases.
Christian Pulisic, 6.5 – Forced Rui Patricio into a great save in the first half, and although he wasn’t as impactful as he has been in the opening two games, offered great energy and work ethic down that flank and put in a shift for the team.
Olivier Giroud, 7 – Another superb penalty as he buried his spot-kick having played a hand in winning it. Did brilliantly again in linking play up and being the focal point of our attack with more movement and support around him.
Rafael Leao, 7.5 – When he flicks that switch, it’s hard for any defender to keep up with him. Caused Roma headaches with his directness and pace down the left side, and capped his performance off with a stunning goal to double our lead and effectively win the game for us.
Substitutes:
Pierre Kalulu, 6 – Did well after coming on to keep things tight at the back, unfortunate with his deflection for the Roma goal.
Tommaso Pobega, 6 – Added energy and tenacity in midfield as he worked hard off the ball to disrupt Roma’s build-up play and was important in seeing out the win.
Samuel Chukwueze, 6 – Still awaiting a breakthrough offensively, but he continues to come off the bench and play an important part in protecting our lead with his defensive work.
Noah Okafor, 6 – Similar to Chukwueze in that he puts in a shift for the team and used his physicality and hold-up play well to keep things ticking over and protect our lead.