AC Milan battled back from 2-0 down to secure a 3-2 win over Verona at San Siro on Saturday to temporarily move to the top of the Serie A table.
The Rossoneri were poor in the first half as we dug ourselves a big hole having fallen two goals behind, and there was little to suggest that we could get back into the encounter.
READ MORE: Five Milan players who have shown important maturation so far this season
However, from Olivier Giroud’s goal just before the hour mark to the last minute of the game, Milan finally found a rhythm in our play and were able to score three unanswered goals to secure an important win and move up to the top of the standings.
Milan player ratings vs Verona:
Ciprian Tatarusanu, 6 – Produced a couple of key saves while he can’t really be faulted for either goal. A decent outing as he steps in for Mike Maignan.
Davide Calabria, 6 – Had been a doubt coming into this one and wasn’t at his best. However, grew stronger as the game went on as he bounced back from not doing enough to prevent the opening goal and put in a good display.
Fikayo Tomori, 6.5 – Was part of the poor defending for the first goal, but similarly to Calabria, he improved as the game progressed and continued to show his class at the back with a solid performance.
Alessio Romagnoli, 5.5 – Did better in the second half, but a step back for our captain as he struggled to contain Verona’s attacking threat particularly due to their movement. Gave away the penalty too in a difficult night for him.
Fode Ballo-Toure, 4.5 – Question marks will be raised as to whether or not he’s really Milan quality. That may sound harsh, but he has a lot of improvement and development to do in order to become a reliable option to cover for Theo Hernandez as he was sloppy in possession and nervous defensively.
Franck Kessie, 6.5 – Slow to start as he couldn’t give us a foothold in midfield and that led to the problems at the back. However, picked things up and started to control things in the second half and kept his cool to slot home the penalty to level the scores.
Ismael Bennacer, 6.5 – Similar to Kessie in that he was sloppy and off the pace in the opening 45 minutes, but he went through the gears after the break to dictate the tempo in midfield and give us the foundation needed to launch the comeback.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 5.5 – Only lasted 45 minutes as he struggled to have any sort of positive influence on our attacking play. His work ethic always makes him an invaluable presence, but particularly at 2-0 down, we needed more in the final third.
Daniel Maldini, 5 – A real struggle for the youngster as aside from one effort which he sent over the bar, he failed to have any real impact for us. Replaced at half-time and has a lot to learn and improve on still.
Ante Rebic, 6 – Unfortunate to lose him to an ankle injury in the first half as he looked the brightest and sharpest Milan player on the pitch in the opening 30 minutes or so. Hopefully the knock isn’t anything serious.
Olivier Giroud, 6.5 – As with the rest of his teammates, the Frenchman struggled in the first half as he couldn’t even get his usually reliable link-up play going. However, picked things up after the interval and not only scored our first goal to spark the comeback, but started to become heavily involved in our play and opportunities.
Substitutions:
Rafael Leao, 7.5 – Played a fundamental role in changing the game after coming on just before half-time. Can claim two assists and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself. An impressive impact off the bench as he continues to mature into a integral figure for Milan.
Samu Castillejo, 7 – Superb attitude and professionalism from the Spaniard, as he has struggled to play any part for Pioli in recent months. Came on, showed great work ethic to press Verona and then got his reward with his cross being diverted in for an own goal to seal the win.
Rade Krunic, 6.5 – An important influence on the encounter as he not only put himself about off the ball to give us some bite, but offered character and personality in possession when possible too.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 6 – Great to see him return. Still off the pace as expected given lack of playing time, but didn’t waste any time in making himself a presence in the box and a threat in the final third in general.
Sandro Tonali, N/A