After going over a month without a win, AC Milan secured a long-awaited victory over Cagliari on Saturday night, emerging as 5-1 victors at San Siro.
The Rossoneri were winless in six across all competitions, as our latest slump in form ensured that this season would be an underwhelming one with important changes expected this summer.
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However, with just three games remaining in the current Serie A season heading into this weekend, it was hoped that Stefano Pioli and his players could end it on a positive note and get back to winning ways.
Milan did just that as although there were moments where we looked shaky again, ultimately we picked up a 5-1 win and are now on the verge of securing second place in the standings.
Well overdue clinical performance and win
As noted above, it’s been over a month since Milan last recorded a win, and so as we limp to the finish line this season, it was hoped that we’d get a performance we could get behind and ultimately just enjoy.
The Rossoneri produced one on Saturday night as although there were still moments that added dread to the situation in similar fashion to most of our season to date, we were clinical in front of goal and showed quality in our build-up play, particularly in killing the game off in the latter stages.
Amid the backdrop of silent protests at San Siro, it was a bizarre atmosphere at the stadium, but for those willing to make noise and celebrate, they finally had something to feed off.
Pleased to see Isma playing well, on the scoresheet
It’s been a disrupted season for Ismael Bennacer, with the 26-year-old making 23 appearances across all competitions as he has struggled with injuries.
With his defensive qualities coupled with what he offers in possession and the balance that he brings to the side with his presence in midfield, he’s still one of our more important players in the squad.
In turn, it was great to see him put in a really positive shift and cap it off with a goal as he certainly appeared to enjoy the moment after what has been a difficult year.
Pulisic continues impressive first season
With his brace, Christian Pulisic took his tallies to 15 goals and nine assists in 48 appearances across all competitions so far this season, with 12 of those goals and seven assists coming in Serie A.
The 25-year-old has proven to be an important addition to the squad with what he adds in the final third coupled with his tenacity and energy off the ball, and so he can be considered one of the more positive additions in recent times.
Importantly for him though, and particularly if there is a coaching change this summer, he must build on this adaptation in Italy this year and try to improve those figures next season to cement himself as a pivotal figure in the Milan XI.
Reijnders looking for more consistency
The pick of the goals was arguably Tijjani Reijnders finding the back of the net from distance with a superb strike, and similarly to those mentioned above, it was great to see the Dutchman enjoy his goal and the moment.
However, with just four goals and four assists in 48 outings this year, he has to take a step up next season and become more consistent with his influence and impact in the final third.
He has the technical ability, and evidently the finishing, to be a bigger presence for us, and hopefully after a year of settling and adapting to Serie A, he’ll be able to kick on.
Positive impact off the bench from Leao
Rafael Leao has struggled to reach the level and standards that he set last season in this campaign, and he was one of several usual starters and key individuals to drop to the bench for this game as Pioli made some big decisions.
That could have gone one of two ways with the 24-year-old, but importantly, he came on and made a positive impact to help us kill the game off and secure all three points.
He’ll know himself that he hasn’t been as consistent or effective enough as we need him to be as our attacking talisman, and hopefully not only can a new coach get the best out of him, but he’ll hopefully continue to grow from these experiences, mature, and become a better player for it.