Despite countless absentees, AC Milan were able to secure a 3-1 win over Roma on Thursday as we started 2022 with a deserved three points.
Goals from Olivier Giroud, Messias Junior and Rafael Leao sealed the victory for the Rossoneri, and although Roma had their moments, we emerged as worthy winners after producing a battling display.
READ MORE: Milan player ratings vs Roma: Tonali superb, Leao electric off bench
FT: Milan 3-1 Roma
– Great win, big three points
– Really pleased with performance especially given absentees
– Tonali excellent in midfield, Maignan with some key saves, Leao electric off bench
– Nice way to start the year, hopefully build on that now#SempreMilan #MilanRoma pic.twitter.com/svlE7BAF3V— Talk Milan (@talkmilan1) January 6, 2022
With several key individuals missing through COVID, injury and international call-ups, Milan were certainly short-handed for this encounter, but Stefano Pioli will be delighted with the resolve and quality shown by those called upon to produce and while it follows on from our win over Empoli prior to the winter break, it’s hoped that this result now sets up a good run of form in the coming weeks.
Maignan plays a vital role in win
While the outfield players will receive a large portion of the praise for this result, Mike Maignan also deserves plenty after he produced some fine saves throughout the encounter which directly influenced the outcome.
The French shot-stopper was excellent when called into action, and those were key moments with Roma looking for a way back into the game.
He’s perhaps been a little off his usual best since returning from injury, but this was a top display and one a top-class goalkeeper produces as he kept his concentration throughout despite not being overly worked.
Gabbia, Kalulu put in shift after nervy start
Matteo Gabbia revealed after the game that our starting defensive pair only found out that they would feature from the first minute just 24 hours before the game.
That is a difficult scenario for any player, but especially for a duo that hasn’t had a great deal of playing time so far this season.
Naturally, they both looked nervous in the early stages as they were finding their feet, both in terms of being caught out defensively and rushing to clear the ball instead of being more composed. However, to their credit, they settled as the game went on and put in important contributions to the win.
Tonali now our midfield focal point
With Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer away on international duty, this month is a huge opportunity for Sandro Tonali to stamp his mark on this side and establish himself as our midfield lynchpin.
He has already shown so far this season that he’s on that path, but with the added responsibility and pressure on his shoulders in the upcoming games, it was fascinating to see how he coped.
Tonali certainly didn’t disappoint on first viewing, as he produced a Man of the Match display in the heart of the Milan midfield, and it’s hoped he just continues to get better and better and thrives in his current role.
Leao return a huge boost
As shown with his impact off the bench in midweek, Milan have missed Rafael Leao’s pace and the different dynamic that he provides in the final third.
His speed, directness, ability to stretch the pitch and take defenders on are all key components to not only him emerging as a real threat in front of goal, but also creating space and opportunities for his teammates around him.
Getting him back will be a massive boost for Milan and Pioli, and it’s hoped that his contribution against Roma is just the start of a good run of form for him individually which helps the team as a whole.
Milan resolve ensures winning start to New Year
Milan were without Simon Kjaer, Alessio Romagnoli, Fikayo Tomori, Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie for this game, while Leao, Davide Calabria, Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all on the bench as they continue to recover from knocks too.
Despite being so shorthanded, the resolve and character that was shown by the side was a huge positive, and while we do have quality in depth in this squad, it’s one thing having it on paper and another entirely showing it on the pitch and getting the desired results.
The hope moving forward is that we can recover as many players as possible and get back to a full strength group, and perhaps even add reinforcements in the January transfer window. Nevertheless, those who secured this win deserve plenty of credit for stepping up and delivering in a game where many would have fancied us to lose such was the concern over the sheer number of absentees missing from our matchday squad.