AC Milan suffered more disappointment on Sunday as we fell to a 1-0 defeat to Napoli at San Siro in another blow for our Scudetto hopes.
The Rossoneri were poor throughout after falling behind in just the fifth minute of the encounter, with Elif Elmas scoring the opening and only goal of the game for the visitors.
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While we continued to push to find a way back into the clash, there was a lack of quality in our play when trying to break our rivals down, and ultimately we came up short and must now look to bounce back against Empoli next time out.
It’s a disappointing setback in what was our penultimate game of 2021, but Stefano Pioli and the players will know that there is no time to let that feeling linger now as the focus switches to the next outing and getting back on track.
AC Milan player ratings vs Napoli:
Mike Maignan, 6 – Will perhaps feel he could have done slightly better on the goal but was let down by those in front of him in terms of their marking. Aside from that, a solid outing for the shot-stopper, albeit a little imprecise with his passing out from the back.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6.5 – A good shift from the stalwart as he provided energy up and down the right flank and also went close himself to finding an equaliser.
Fikayo Tomori, 6.5 – Slow start, but he switched on and looked a class act after that as he dealt with any threat from Napoli with a commanding display.
Alessio Romagnoli, 6 – Decent defensive shift and did well with his distribution out from the back as he put in an all-round positive performance at the back.
Fode Ballo-Toure, 6 – Still has question marks hanging over him in terms of being a reliable back-up option at left-back, but he did well against a difficult opponent and impressed at times. A display he can gain confidence from and build on when called upon next.
Sandro Tonali, 5.5 – Although he was positive with his passing and looked to get us going from midfield, he was a little sloppy on this occasion and was partly at fault for the goal due to his poor marking.
Franck Kessie, 5 – Another off night for our midfield powerhouse, as aside from having a goal disallowed through VAR, he didn’t impose himself well enough as he didn’t win enough battles and was off with his passing too as he struggled to give us a foothold in midfield.
Messias Junior, 5.5 – A difficult outing for him as although he tried to be positive and offer a direct threat in the final third, he came up against a solid defence and struggled to really open things up and create serious opportunities for either himself or a teammate.
Brahim Diaz, 5 – His struggles since returning from having COVID continue, as he couldn’t get on the ball in the areas where he can be effective. Failed to offer any real creative quality in the final third, and so if that part of his game is nullified, he becomes generally quite ineffective.
Rade Krunic, 5 – Worked hard off the ball for his teammates, but as has been the case on countless occasions now, he doesn’t provide enough quality in an attacking sense to warrant a starting spot. Milan are dealing with key absentees currently, but Pioli needs a fresh solution on that flank in the meantime.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 5 – Also to blame for the poor marking for the goal, but perhaps more disappointing was his lack of influence and threat in the game as a whole. Had one big chance which forced a good save, but other than that, it was a quiet night and that’s something that Milan can’t afford from him at this level against direct rivals.
Substitutions:
Olivier Giroud, 5 – A struggle for him after coming on as he didn’t really do much to add a genuine threat to our attacking play.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 6 – Provided a fresh threat after coming on but nothing decisive to help find a way back into the game.
Ismael Bennacer, 5.5 – Added fresh legs and impetus in midfield, but was similarly off the boil in terms of his distribution.
Samu Castillejo, 6 – Came on and gave us a more direct threat with his deliveries into the box, but not accurate enough to cause Napoli any major concerns.
Pierre Kalulu, N/A
