AC Milan secured a convincing 3-0 win over Venezia on Sunday as the Rossoneri temporarily moved to the top of the Serie A table.
That’s now three consecutive wins for Milan after seeing off Empoli and Roma either side of the winter break, and while Inter have two games in hand, it’s important that we continue to put pressure on our city and Scudetto rivals and force them to respond.
READ MORE: Tonali establishing himself as lynchpin of Milan midfield
FT: Venezia 0-3 Milan
– 3 points, clean sheet, job done ✅
– Solid performance, good tempo & intensity about our play on & off ball
– Theo, Florenzi, Tonali, Leao all impressive
– Back-to-back wins to start 2022, on to the next one!#ACMilan #SempreMilan #VeneziaMilan pic.twitter.com/0ESdeHzNnj— Talk Milan (@talkmilan1) January 9, 2022
Goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Theo Hernandez (2) ensured we picked up all three points at Venezia this weekend, and it was a deserved victory after we made bright starts to both halves to set the tone for what was to follow.
AC Milan player ratings vs Venezia:
Mike Maignan, 6 – Rarely tested but commanded his area well with some good takes from crosses into the box. Accurate with his distribution too in a tidy performance.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6.5 – A solid display as he defended well when needed, and pushed forward to add width and a threat down our right flank in a tireless effort.
Pierre Kalulu, 6.5 – Had some shaky moments and needs to be calmer when in possession, but used his physicality and speed well at times to keep things tight at the back for us.
Matteo Gabbia, 6.5 – Similarly to Kalulu, he looked a little nervous on the ball and so he needs to stay calm and play it out from the back with some composure. Defensively though, barring the yellow card that he had to take for the team, he put in a decent performance to help us keep a clean sheet.
Theo Hernandez, 8 – A top outing for the stand-in Milan captain. First and foremost, he did well defensively when called into action, but showed his class going forward with a well-taken goal to double our lead and then was clinical from the penalty spot to wrap things up.
Tiemoue Bakayoko, 6.5 – Switches off at times when perhaps he thinks he’s in control of the situation, but there is no denying that he is improving and starting to impose himself on games. Physical, smart in his reading of the game and athletic to break forward, he stamped his mark on this clash and did well in tandem with Tonali.
Sandro Tonali, 7 – Made some crucial defensive interventions to show that he is maturing in terms of his positioning and reading of the game, and he was always composed and accurate in possession as he moved the ball well and helped us set the tempo. Picked up a yellow card and will miss the Spezia game.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 5.5 – An early yellow card impacted his game and to his credit, he was smart thereafter as he controlled himself well to avoid getting in further trouble. That said though, it also limited what he offered the team and as a result, Stefano Pioli opted to replace him at half-time.
Brahim Diaz, 6 – Had his moments and was important in the build up to our second goal, but we need Diaz to rediscover his best form and start pulling the strings in the final third. It appears as though he’s lacking a little confidence and so it may well just take a moment of class to get him back to where we need him to be.
Rafael Leao, 7.5 – Two assists and an electric overall display in around an hour on the pitch. His pace, directness and skill bring a crucial dynamic to our attacking line, and he started to really enjoy himself on that left flank. We’ve seen a big improvement from him this season and he’s starting to produce consistently.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 6.5 – Tucked away a simple finish to break the deadlock, and although he lacked a clinical edge after that, he was constantly involved in our play as he dropped short to get on the ball and try and find openings. Will be pleased to get on the scoresheet, and that will hopefully spark him on a run now.
Substitutions:
Messias Junior, 6 – Had a bigger impact on the game than Saelemaekers, but similarly lacked that real quality to make the difference in the final third with either his creativity for a teammate or as a direct threat himself.
Ante Rebic, 6 – So good to see him back on the pitch, and although he will need time to find his sharpness and get up to the pace of the game again, he made a positive impact. Pressed well as he always does with his work ethic out of possession, and showed good vision and intent with the ball at his feet.
Daniel Maldini, 5 – Didn’t quite get it right with his decision-making in counter-attacks in the latter stages, as his pass was either off or took the wrong option with a teammate in space.
Olivier Giroud, 6 – Did his job well enough after coming on with the game in the bag. Held up the ball at times while bringing others into play and was always on the move off the ball to give his teammate in possession an option.
Luca Stanga, N/A – A late introduction but pleased to see him get his chance to make his Serie A debut.