In our first Serie A game back after the World Cup, AC Milan secured all three points in a battling 2-1 win over Salernitana.
In truth, we should have made the win more comfortable given the number of chances we had, but the important thing for the Rossoneri was to get a positive result in the restart of the season, and so that box was ticked.
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Goals from Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali were enough to see off a spirited Salernitana side, and Stefano Pioli had reason to be both pleased with the performance but also accepting of the fact that there are still key improvements to be made by his side.
With Roma ahead on Sunday at San Siro, we can expect an even tougher challenge, and so there are fundamental aspects that we need to get right if we are to follow this result up with another win.
Great to have Calabria back in Milan XI
In what is a really important boost for us, Davide Calabria returned to the starting line-up this week and showcased why he’s so important to the balance of the backline with his leadership and experience.
The Milan captain showed defensive resolve and resilience while also getting forward and providing width when possible, and that’s a combination that we have missed on the right side in his absence.
There is a bigger sense of organisation and defensive discipline with him in the XI, and so it’s hoped that he now continues to improve with more playing time.
Defensive frailties still a concern
That said, Milan did look exposed on several occasions during our win, and had Salernitana been more ruthless themselves with their openings, the game could have been very different.
We’ve conceded 16 goals in 16 league games so far this season, which gives us the second worst defensive record of the top six. Given how fundamental that side of the game was to our success last year, we have to get back to being hard to break down.
Teams were getting too many chances against us before the World Cup break, and Salernitana will certainly be disappointed they didn’t do better with their opportunities in this one.
Milan must be more clinical
At the other end of the pitch, we could have been out of sight long before the nervy ending to the game had we been more clinical in front of goal.
The positive was that we created countless chances and looked threatening throughout, and there was real quality involved in both of our goals. With that in mind, it’s clear that we have the ability to put teams away.
However, against top sides, we can’t afford to miss some of the openings we created in this game, and so our attacking players need to sharpen things up moving forward.
Tonali shows great understanding with front four
Naturally, Tonali will receive plenty of praise for his assist and goal, as both were decisive moments in the game and he was pivotal in our victory.
Beyond that though, this was a really impressive performance from the 22-year-old, as he showed a real understanding and chemistry with our attacking quartet both with his service into them and his decision-making on when and where to break forward.
If he can develop that further, we’ll see him having a big impact on games more regularly, while his partnership with Ismael Bennacer in that midfield pivot will continue to be the foundation of this side’s success.
Leao continues to shine
He’ll be disappointed that he didn’t have a bigger influence on the game in the end, but this was another brilliant shift from the Portuguese winger who was a threat throughout.
Not only did he take his goal brilliantly, but his movement, pace and direct running were a real issue for Salernitana, as they simply couldn’t get to grips with him.
Speculation has been rife over his future, which is natural given how impressive he has been for club and country over the last 18 months or so. However, he is central to our plans moving forward, and it’s hoped that having come this far and developed so much under Pioli and the coaching staff alongside his teammates, that this is just the beginning for him with bigger objectives still ahead.