After getting a 1-0 win against Hellas Verona at the weekend, AC Milan traveled to Sardinia to face off against Cagliari in a midweek Serie A fixture, and they made it back-to-back victories.
Cagliari have had a rough start to life back in the top flight having earned promotion through the Serie B play-offs in 2022-23. They sat second-bottom of the table coming into the match with just two points and one goal scored in their first five games.
Despite their negative attacking record, Cagliari managed to open up the scoring in the 29th minute and surprise Milan through Zito Luvumbo, who was a tricky customer all night.
However, Milan – who had not come from behind to win a league game since September 2022 – didn’t seem to be phased by the goal and reacted quickly. Noah Okafor and Fikayo Tomori both netted from close range to make it 2-1 going into the break.
The Rossoneri managed to kill off the game around the hour mark after Loftus-Cheek scored with a lovely long-range effort to make it 3-1 and net his first for the club. Here are five things we learned…
1. Il Pianista melodic
Yacine Adli got his second ever start as a Milan after, 346 days after his last against Verona. He came into the season off the back of a campaign where he barely got any minutes at all, but due to Rade Krunic’s injury and his hard work, Pioli gave him a chance.
The midfielder played a really solid game and whilst he has to take some of the blame for Cagliari’s opener due to losing the ball softly, we can’t blame him entirely since the whole defence fell asleep from there.
Adli dictated the game well showcasing his technique and passing abilities which paired well with his impressive vision as the midfielder.
He launched several long balls forward and was not afraid of a line-breaking pass. He also had 97% passing accuracy which is impressive given the type of passes he was playing, i.e. ones to unlock the game rather than safe lateral ball movement.
It was really positive outing and whilst Cagliari aren’t exactly the toughest opponent and his midfield partners did a lot of heavy lifting, Adli did seize the moment and it will be interesting to see him feature even more.
2. Central dominance
As mentioned, Adli wasn’t the only one to have a solid game in the midfield. Tijjani Reijnders also had a solid game as he involved himself in a lot of attacking actions, carrying the ball well and being dangerous around the opponent’s penalty box.
Loftus-Cheek also had his say in the game as he brought his physical presence, helping his team win over the midfield battle, and he eventually picked up a goal through a lovely long shot.
Before the game in our key battles piece we highlighted the need for Reijnders and Loftus-Cheek to pin Sulemana and Makoumbou. This would then create space for Adli who will operate at the base of the three-man midfield.
He is not a defensive battler like Krunic, and instead will play as more of a traditional deep-lying playmaker which he needs time and space to do.
Yunus Musah and Tommaso Pobega also helped when coming on, showing that the quality of the midfield might just have improved with Sandro Tonali’s exit and the subsequent reinvestment, but the depth certainly has.
3. Experimental attack pays off
Pioli managed to show off his team’s depth after starting off the game with Pulisic, Okafor, and Chukwueze up front, allowing Leao and Giroud to get some much needed rest.
Pulisic managed to grab an assist whilst the Swiss striker racked up his first goal in red in black in his first full game for his new club, ending a goal drought stretching back to last November too.
His movement in the centre-forward role offered something different too, dragging Cagliari’s markers around to create chances and also space for the other forwards.
Chukwueze also looked sharp and showed his impressive dribbling skills and whilst he didn’t score or assist he was a constant threat going forward.
These types of rotations will be key with the many difficult games upon Milan in the next couple of weeks, and Pioli should soon have Luka Jovic at 100% too.
4. No Giroud, no problem
Giroud didn’t participate in the game and one of the big question marks in the build-up to kick-off was whether Okafor was capable of replacing the Frenchman by playing as a No.9.
The Swiss international is a different player with very different skills, but he did show good positioning and instinct especially when scoring the goal, one that also required composure to take a touch and open the space up.
On top of that, the former Red Bull Salzburg man is very fast and he is able to take on his man, which is something Milan has lacked in a striker for a while. He presses hard from the front too, having come from an intense pressing side.
With Giroud’s age, it’s a breath of fresh air for Pioli having Okafor start the season strong and he’ll have plenty more chances. It must also be mentioned that he is just 22 years old so he has plenty of room for improvement.
5. An unlikely surprise
Alessandro Florenzi was very much in the shadows last season as he didn’t feature that much for Milan and when he did it wasn’t all that impressive, to say the least.
The season the Italian looks fit and ready to contribute as he has stepped into the right-back spot in Davide Calabria’s absence and has done very well.
Pioli’s tactics to have an inverted full-back also play in his favour as he is know to have good control of the ball which allows him to involve himself more in the game and provide good passes for his team-mates.
Whilst not a long-term solution, it seems like Florenzi might just be enough for a back-up right-back this season, allowing Pierre Kalulu to focus on the centre-back role when he is fit again.
