AC Milan secured a 1-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday as the Rossoneri moved to the top of the Serie A table.
Rafael Leao’s first-half goal was enough to ensure we picked up all three points, and while Milan did make a bright start to the game, we weren’t able to kick on after that opener to put the game away.
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Nevertheless, while it might not have been an entirely convincing display, it was a relatively comfortable one with the win moving us to the top of the standings after the rest of the weekend’s fixtures, albeit rivals Inter do still have a game in hand on us and could yet leapfrog us back to the summit.
For now though, Stefano Pioli will be pleased with what he saw from his players and the result itself, and it’s hoped that we’re now building real momentum heading into the final stretch of the season after a positive week in which we secured three consecutive wins.
AC Milan player ratings vs Sampdoria:
Mike Maignan, 7 – Didn’t have to do much in terms of defending his goal, but his accurate ball forward set Leao off for the only goal of the game in a crucial contribution. Was tidy with his distribution throughout and commanding in his area.
Davide Calabria, 6.5 – Solid defensive shift as he didn’t allow Sampdoria to have any joy down his flank, and while he perhaps didn’t get forward as much as he’d like, it was an important job in that phase of the game.
Fikayo Tomori, 6.5 – Great to see him return to the starting line-up, and while his reading of the game and interceptions were important, so was his passing out from the back to build attacks.
Alessio Romagnoli, 6.5 – Similarly to Tomori, he didn’t put much of a foot wrong with his passing, and even though he picked up a yellow card, he was focused and accurate with his defensive work.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6 – In context, given he was played in an unnatural role on the left side, he did a good job of keeping things tight at the back and helped us earn our clean sheet.
Sandro Tonali, 7 – Has set a standard and is impressively consistent with it. Continues to play a key role both defensively by providing protection in front of the backline and keeps us ticking in midfield with his driving runs or forward passes while also helping us maintain control over possession and the tempo of the game.
Ismael Bennacer, 7 – Really pleasing to see him and Tonali work well together, as that pairing will hopefully be the first-choice partnership with Franck Kessie’s future seemingly lying elsewhere after this season. Recovered and intercepted countless balls, as he was a real disruptive force in the midfield battle.
Messias Jr, 6 – Forced a brilliant save out of Falcone with a snap shot in the first half, but other than that, didn’t have a major influence on the game even though he did pick the ball up in dangerous areas at times.
Brahim Diaz, 6 – A frustrating afternoon for him as with Samp packing the midfield area, it didn’t give him time or space to get between the lines and be a creative force for us. Did a decent job all-round job though to help the team get the right result.
Rafael Leao, 7.5 – Scored a brilliant goal as he showed pace, physicality and composure to score his 10th goal of the season across all competitions. It turned out to be a decisive moment and the winning goal, and while he did look dangerous time and time again with his speed, was a little wasteful with his delivery into the box.
Olivier Giroud, 6 – Tough game for him to try and give us a focal point up top. Forced Falcone into a couple of decent saves as he was a nuisance in the area and in the air for the visitors. Another positive outing despite not being able to find the back of the net.
Substitutions:
Alexis Saelemaekers, 6 – Did well after coming on as he provided more bite and energy down that right flank defensively and tried to force through the blockades to make something happen.
Franck Kessie, 5.5 – Can’t be easy for him given the reception he’s receiving from the fans when involved, but that’s ultimately down to his off-the-field decisions. Not a great contribution as he struggled to get up to the pace of the game and make an impact.
Ante Rebic, 5 – A really wasteful cameo display as he couldn’t get his shot away or find the right pass to make things a lot more comfortable in the latter stages. Still working his way back after injury it seems, and it’s hoped that he can rediscover his best form again soon.
Rade Krunic, 6 – Did his job well as he added freshness and physicality in midfield to help us see out the win.
Pierre Kalulu, N/A