AC Milan clinched three important points against Roma on Sunday evening and thus bounced back from the Coppa Italia exit. It was a good performance from more or less the entire team but a few stood out. Below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri.
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out how we decide the player ratings. From the scale to what affects the rating, we have compiled everything there.
Starting XI
Maignan (7): He couldn’t do anything about the penalty, obviously, but did make multiple good saves to deny Roma this evening. The one on Celik was fantastic, getting down quickly and showcasing great reflexes.
Calabria (5.5): The captain had a good game up until the penalty, it must be said, and perhaps this rating is a bit harsh. However, Milan had complete control of the game at that point and there was no need to intervene, with the Roma player going away from goal. A rookie mistake, unfortunately.
Kjaer (6.5): His positioning was good this evening and the defending was solid. He did have a couple of shaky moments, though, including the foul on Belotti which resulted in a yellow card. Having said that, the assist for Giroud was nice (albeit easy) so that bumps up his rating a bit.
Gabbia (7): The best defensive display in the Milan team this evening, always breathing down the neck of Lukaku and showing his strength in the duels. He also wasn’t afraid when in possession, getting past the first press nicely on a few occasions. His return to the club was vital, it must be said.
Hernandez (7.5): He ran up and down that left flank, just like in the old days, and crowned the performance with a lovely goal. The partnership with Leao was good throughout the clash and he was solid overall in defence as well. Another thing to highlight is his crossing, which was good today even from tight angles.
Adli (7.5 – MOTM): A lovely first goal for the club and a great hockey assist for the second goal. The MOTM award is indeed justified for the Frenchman, who controlled the midfield well and really showcased his all-round abilities tonight. He just needs to find the consistency moving forward to become a great asset for Milan.
Reijnders (6.5): A very normal display from the Dutchman, as we have become used to, with few spectacular sequences but with very good passing on display. The little lay-off to Adli before the first goal was perfect, yet so simple. Just missed out on a 7 today.
Pulisic (6): He looked lively, as always, and had a couple of good moments where he managed to get into the right positions. The final touch was lacking, though, which would have been needed for a higher rating with two good chances missed.
Loftus-Cheek (5.5): The Englishman had absolutely no luck in the decisive moments, wasting a couple of good chances for Milan due to hesitancy. He got into the right positions on many occasions, but he needs to be so much better on the ball.
Leao (6): The winger had his moments, but it was a very average display overall from him. In fairness, he did help set up quite a few good chances for Milan, but he needs to be more incisive himself. He did well enough to get a pass today, though.
Giroud (7.5): What can you say, right place at the right time. The first goal was an easy finish, it must be said, but the positioning should not be underestimated. And the assist for the third goal was just ridiculous, with a backheel nutmeg. You could argue that he was too quiet otherwise, but the truth is he did his job as a striker.
Substitutes
Musah (6): The American didn’t have a huge impact on the game, but he defended decently and nearly scored a goal after a great run. He kind of scuffed the effort, though, and Roma were saved by the post.
Okafor (5.5): We didn’t really see much of him, so take this rating with a grain of salt, but he wasted a good counter-attack at the end with a rather poor pass.
Zeroli (N/A): We didn’t see enough to give him a rating.
Jimenez (N/A): We didn’t see enough to give him a rating.
The manager
Pioli (6.5): Milan got the tactics right and putting Theo at left-back was the right move, although we all knew that. We have no complaints about the subs today, really, and the only reason Milan conceded was because of an individual error. A good evening overall for Pioli, therefore.
