With Franck Kessie moving on to pastures new, AC Milan have a new-look midfield duo as Ismael Bennacer and Sandro Tonali now team up in the heart of the side.
With Tonali missing our Serie A season opener against Udinese due to injury, the Rossoneri faithful got our first look at the pairing in our battling 1-1 draw in Bergamo against Atalanta this past weekend.
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Naturally, the Milan duo still have much to work on to perfect their partnership in such a pivotal area of the pitch, but the early signs were certainly promising as they will undoubtedly form the heart beat of Stefano Pioli’s side moving forward.
Milan do have depth in that department with the likes of Rade Krunic, Tommaso Pobega and Tiemoue Bakayoko currently at Pioli’s disposal, while there is every chance that we look to address that particular area of the squad before the transfer deadline.
However, the expectation is that when fit, Bennacer and Tonali will be the engine room of this Milan XI, and it’s certainly an exciting and promising partnership that could develop between the pair.
Bennacer, Tonali provide perfect balance in Milan midfield
From their combativeness, tenacity and energy from a defensive perspective, to their technical quality, vision and passing range with the ball at their feet, both Bennacer and Tonali have a balanced combination of attributes that allow them to be influential in both phases of the game.
Couple them together, and with the left-foot/right-foot combination too, if they can build chemistry and understanding, they will hopefully develop a way of being fully integrated into the system together to know where the other is at all times and to judge where they can roam on the pitch.
During our push to return to the top four in Serie A the season before last and then in our Scudetto-winning campaign last year, Bennacer and Kessie were absolutely fundamental to our turnaround as they gave us a foundation to build on and made us harder to beat while also transitioning play quickly into our own attacks.
Bennacer and Tonali can do a very similar job and perhaps an even better one such is the talent and potential they possess, and particularly with Pierre Kalulu and Fikayo Tomori behind them now adding a really strong core to the side, it gives us a a reliable and highly talented base from which to work.
At 24 and 22 years of age respectively, Bennacer and Tonali now have the opportunity to be the heart beat of this Milan side for years to come. It’s hoped that they can both stay injury-free and remain in top condition on a consistent basis, and if they can, they will be fundamental pieces in our bid to push on and not only defend our Serie A title, but to become increasingly competitive in the Champions League moving forward.