Five key talking points as Milan secure crucial win over Inter

   February 7, 2022

AC Milan launched a stirring comeback on Saturday as the Rossoneri secured a 2-1 win over rivals Inter in a thrilling encounter.

Ivan Perisic’s first-half strike gave the Nerazzuri the lead, and in fairness, they looked the better side in the opening 45 minutes as Milan lacked quality in our play.

READ MORE: Milan player ratings vs Inter: Giroud, Brahim Diaz decisive in comeback win

However, as it seemed to be heading towards defeat for the Rossoneri which would have been a damaging blow considering the standings ahead of the game, Olivier Giroud scored a quick-fire brace to turn it around and help secure three pivotal points for Milan as we close the gap at the top of the Serie A table.

Giroud shows his class

Milan struggled to produce much of note in this clash, as there was an obvious lack of quality to our play which in turn resulted in Inter controlling large periods and looking the more threatening of the two sides.

In turn, it needed some individual quality to make the difference, and it was Giroud who stepped up and delivered with both goals.

From initially winning the ball back in the build-up to the first before sliding the ball into the back of the net to equalise, to then producing top-class centre-forward play for his second with the hold up play and finish, it was a brilliant and decisive impact from the Frenchman.

Pioli gets his changes spot on

From looking unlikely to get anything from the game, Pioli’s changes as it went on undoubtedly had a significant influence on the outcome.

From the decision to replace Alexis Saelemaekers at half-time with Messias Jr to the introduction of Brahim Diaz who was vital leading up to the equaliser, the Milan changes were significant.

That in turn should see credit go to Pioli for those tweaks, and of course to the players who came on and made that important difference.

Tonali maturing into pillar of Milan XI

This season is going to be seen as a significant period in the career of Sandro Tonali. After a largely underwhelming first year at the club, he is now maturing and developing into a top player.

From his defensive tenacity and intensity to his drive and determination with the ball at his feet and his work ethic out of possession, he is establishing himself as a crucial cog in the heart of the Milan XI.

There is little doubt that he is showing the characteristics needed in a captain, and at 21 years of age, it is hopefully a role that will naturally come his way as the years go on.

Maignan plays vital role in win

While Giroud will gain a majority of the headlines for his inspiring two-goal display, Mike Maignan deserves just as much credit for this result given how important he was prior to that.

Particularly in the first half, he made some fundamental interventions to keep us in the game, from his reflexes and reaction saves to rushing out of his goal and sweeping away danger.

The Frenchman has proven to be a top replacement for us between the posts this season, and it’s hoped that he continues to improve over time.

Unconvincing, but a crucial victory for Milan

Ultimately, this wasn’t a convincing win for Milan. We looked second best in the first half, and while there was an obvious improvement in and around our goals, it felt more like a ‘smash and grab’ victory.

Nevertheless, three points is three points, and particularly in terms of what it means for the standings with Inter still holding a game in hand on us, it was imperative that we won this showdown.

It could prove to be a major moment in the campaign, and while we look to continue to fend off the chasing pack to secure a top-four finish in Serie A as a minimum objective, this result will hopefully give us the foundation heading into the last stretch of the season to aim higher and chase down Inter for the Scudetto.