Most fun game of the year? I think so. Took a little bit to breakthrough but once Milan did, the floodgates opened.
As I’ve been doing of late, I like to let the round finish since we’re so late into the season and it allows me to take a fuller look at what’s going on and to better put Milan and the outcome of the most recent game, in context.
Most importantly for this game, Pioli rotated and we got to see some players play who hadn’t for various reasons, and it also let us look at what appeared to be a 4-3-3 formation at the onset. I don’t think they stayed in the formation but it was interesting to see it again since opening the season with it and then moving away and back to the 4-2-3-1. Pioli has been tinkering more of late…yes, not all of it great, but no coach is going to go 10/10 when it comes to this.
Milan did eventually settle into a 4-2-3-1 after about 20-25 minutes and the big difference was in the wings and fullbacks, specifically Kalulu. Reijnders settled into the CAM role and the team really started putting pressure on that Cagliari backline.
The Kalulu part for me was the biggest difference in what we normally see. Yes I’m aware we just saw Milan put 5 on the board…and damn that Leão run was good!…but the athleticism Kalulu brought down the right flank, the overlapping runs and especially the pace…he really showed how much Calabria compromises Milan, offensively and defensively, and how much better Milan will be when he’s not seeing regular minutes. Kalulu staying healthy and Thiaw and Gabbia putting in good performances next to Tomori, will help (I, selfishly, still want to see that Tomori-Kalulu CB pairing…and as someone on Twitter recently said, those two hunted in pairs and it was glorious to watch that Scudetto season).
Clearly it was a good game for Milan and we should enjoy it…AND I want to take a moment and bring to your attention what a nail-biter we have for the 5th and likely final Champions League spot and the even closer battle for relegation.
First, the battle for 5th. Atalanta pretty much took the wood to Roma and while Roma got a goal to make the score close, Atalanta really was the better team. Their win puts them 3 points ahead of Roma for 5th and they have a game in hand, a game with Fiorentina that was postponed due to a dealth in the Fiorentina organization, and was just rescheduled for June 2nd. Lazio is close by with 59 points, one behind Roma, and if Atalanta can give Leverkusen their first defeat in 50 games, that 6th spot all of a sudden becomes a CL spot. I’m sure Roma fans, basking in the DDR glow since January, are surely sweating now as the season draws to a close and they still haven’t locked up CL.
Finally, relegation and man is it one of the tightest races in a LONG time. Here are the teams still mathematically vulnerable to relegation:
13. Lecce – 37pts (-20 GD)
14. Hellas Verona – 34pts (-14 GD)
15. Udinese – 33pts (-17 GD)
16. Cagliari – 33pts (-27 GD)
17. Frosinone – 32pts (-25 GD)
18. Empoli – 32pts (-26 GD)
19. Sassuolo – 29pts (-30 GD)
20. Salernitana – 16pts (-48 GD)
Yikes. That’s really close.
Salerintana is clearly out but any one of 7 teams could go down with them and many still have games against each other. Any games these teams have with any of the teams battling for Europe will have their hands full. I’m a sucker for goal differential so any matchups for me or where I’d be putting my money on which teams will survive will correlate strongly with that. Should be a fun finish.
Now let’s get to ratings…
Player Ratings
Goal Keeping
SPORTIELLO 7 – Sell Mike. What?! I love Mike but I don’t like overpaying for keepers and Sportiello is good enough to where moving Maignan means Milan won’t automatically have to backfill…I love Mike. Just saying (and Sportiello had another quality game)
Goal Keeping Overall 7
Defense
FLORENZI 7 – After a huge game vs Genoa he quieted down some. Still solid
THIAW 7 – Solid. Back to back quality showings for the big German
GABBIA 7 – I don’t know that he’s the second best CB on the team but he’s putting in quality games like one
KALULU 7.5 – My boy. Loyal readers know this. Man he needs to stay healthy because he is just miles better than Calabria. Hoping for a bounceback 2024-25 but he was damn good in this. Loved all the overlapping runs and the speed, oh the speed!
Defense Overall 7.2
Midfield
MUSAH 6.5 – Was good but all of this bouncing around…I don’t know that it’s hurting him per se but I worry it’s going to stunt his growth as a player. Hope they settle on a position for him this summer
BENNACER 8.5 – Whoa! Where did this come from?! Finally looked somewhat like the Bennacer we loved from 2 years ago. Yes it was Cagliari but still, I think him and us both needed that
REIJNDERS 8 – Back to back solid games and he finally put one on target from distance! He was starting to remind us all of Jack…
Midfield Overall 7.8
Forwards
PULISIC 8.5 MOTM – Quiet to start but then really turned it on. Always making smart movements and putting himself in good positions. Was no different on the day. MOTM performance
CHUKWUEZE 6.5 – Solid
GIROUD 6 – Not his best, which was odd because the offense started humming and he wasn’t part of it. Thinking of LA already maybe???
Forwards Overall 6.8
Subs
TOMORI 7 – Solid
OKAFOR 6.5 – Solid
LEÃO 8.5 – Boy, when he’s on it sure is a sight. What a fun game and he had it all going. Masterful performance in just 45 minutes
HERNÁNDEZ 6.5 – Solid
POBEGA NA – Hey! Pobega! Nice to see him back and had a couple of nice passes. The most severely injured out of everyone last fall when guys were dropping like flies, happy to see the kid get a few minutes
Subs Overall 7
Coaching
PIOLI 8 – Maybe he’s not done?…and maybe the players ARE still playing for him?…
Anyway, as I mentioned at the beginning, Pioli changed it up with the 4-3-3 to start and then things really opened up after going back to the 4-2-3-1 and Reijnders starting making noise at the top of the 18 yard box (Bennacer had some nice runs into that area as well – that’s how he got the goal). A decoy formation? Maybe. Kalulu really ramped up the overlapping runs quite a bit at the same time and a lot of the build up starting coming down the right. Cagliari began leaning that way and then the goals started coming. Maybe the old man isn’t quite done?…we won’t have to wait long to find out
Final Thoughts
One more thing before wrapping up: Milan have scored 95 goals on the season across all competitions. I think it’s already their most ever (if not, it’s close) but hitting 100 goals would DEFINITELY set their all time record. They have Torino followed by Salernitana. Can they do it? I think they can and will.
Either way, with 2nd place completely wrapped up after Juve’s draw to Salernitana, Milan and Pioli can play loose. Should be a fun couple of weeks to close out. Enjoy it before the summer madness begins.
Forza Milan
gillis
