AC Milan returned to Serie A action with a win over Salernitana this week, and key to that victory was the performance of Sandro Tonali.
The 22-year-old produced an assist and goal in the opening 15 minutes of the encounter, as his decisive impact was integral in our ability to come away with all three points.
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From the quality involved in his pass to put Rafael Leao through to his composure and control with the strike that doubled our lead and effectively secured the win, those two moments alone were wonderful to see.
However, having doubled his goal tally for the season and with six assists in 23 games, the challenge for Tonali is to find consistency and provide more of a threat from midfield, given he showcased just how effective and impactful he can be in midweek.
Tonali influence in attacking play adds key dynamic to side
We’re all aware of how talented Tonali is and how high his ceiling is, and his partnership with Ismael Bennacer in that midfield pivot is one of our biggest strengths. Their chemistry and understanding has continued to develop which in turn has meant that they’ve been hugely influential in our success.
On one hand, it could be argued that we have enough attacking quality in our front four to hurt teams, and so Tonali doesn’t necessarily have to concern himself with that phase of the game, so long as we win the midfield battle and put ourselves in position to dictate the tempo with possession.
However, such was his influence on Wednesday, it remains to be seen if Stefano Pioli explores that further, and has an expanded role for Tonali in mind.
The Italian international had 43 touches of the ball, 74% passing completion, made three key passes, created two big chances, won four of six duels and chipped in with his fair share of defensive interventions.
Tonali has the all-round game to be influential in both phases of the game, and as seen in his heat map below, he certainly put in a defensive shift on that left side – which in turn gives Theo Hernandez license to get forward – but it was his ability to break forward into space and create that also caught the eye.
As well as linking up brilliantly with our attacking quartet, Tonali exploited space created by the likes of Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao, and was able to provide an additional threat in the final third which saw him have such a big impact early on and throughout the game.
With Milan now looking to build momentum with a good run of form, there is absolutely no doubt that Tonali will be fundamental in that process and will continue to grow and mature into one of our leaders.
