AC Milan returned to winning ways on Saturday night as we secured a 2-0 victory over Benevento at the San Siro.
The Rossoneri know that we can’t afford to drop any more points between now and the end of the season as we battle for a Champions League qualification spot.
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After back-to-back defeats, the pressure was certainly on us to deliver this weekend and thanks to goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Theo Hernandez, we were able to get back on track and take some confidence into the next fixture against Juventus.
Milan player ratings vs Benevento
Gianluigi Donnarumma, 6 – Not called into action regularly, but alert when needed to keep a long-awaited clean sheet which was a boost in itself.
Diogo Dalot, 6.5 – Replaced Calabria in the starting line-up and put in a solid shift. Always got forward to overlap Saelemaekers and provide an attacking threat too.
Fikayo Tomori, 6.5 – After a difficult few games where he came under increased scrutiny, he responded well here and put in a good performance with a new defensive partner next to him.
Alessio Romagnoli, 6.5 – A positive return to the fold for our captain, as he dealt with danger effectively and did well slotting in next to Tomori despite their lack of playing time together.
Theo Hernandez, 6.5 – Important goal to give us some breathing room and to secure all three points, in a generally positive display as he contributed to our creative play going forward.
Franck Kessie, 6.5 – Did brilliantly in the lead up to our opening goal and put in a solid shift in the heart of the midfield to give us a foothold in the game.
Ismael Bennacer, 6 – Started well in both phases of the game but then risked a red card after picking up a caution and was subsequently, and sensibly, replaced at half-time by Pioli.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 6.5 – Another decent effort from the Belgian as he offers an outlet on the right as well as great work ethic to put in a shift defensively for the team. It’s also a big help to have Ibrahimovic as a focal point for him to work off.
Hakan Calhanoglu, 7 – At the heart of the opening goal and wrapped it up with a wonderful finish. Always looking to get on the ball and make things happen, but he’ll need to take this form and quality into the remaining games now.
Rafael Leao, 6 – Didn’t have too much of an impact in our attacking play and had a good chance saved. Attitude was better than in previous outings, and perhaps Ibrahimovic’s presence up front helped in that regard too. Questionable if he stays in the side though with Rebic for competition ahead of the Juventus showdown.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 6.5 – His leadership and demand for more quality from his teammates makes a big difference in itself, and he’ll be frustrated that he couldn’t get on the scoresheet as he had a string of opportunities well saved.
Substitutes:
Sandro Tonali, 6.5 – Played an important role in the second half to help us secure the win. Accurate with his distribution to get us moving into attack.
Ante Rebic, N/A
Samu Castillejo, N/A
Davide Calabria, N/A
Brahim Diaz, N/A
