Another game, another clean sheet and another 1-0 win. I’m going to be able to just start cutting and pasting the previous post-match moving forward if this keeps up!
To be sure, Max Allegri has Milan back to its winning ways and the clean sheets are a sight for sore eyes, but the margins haven’t been great and while Allegri’s sides can be defensively stout, it also doesn’t leave much room for error. So how long can Allegri and Milan continue to walk this tightrope?…
In a game that was a little more exciting than a 1-0 score might suggest, Milan held on for the 1-0 win after a 51st minute Rafael Leão goal, itself a cumulation of some wonderful one-touch build-up that led to the one-touch goal. It was a play that not many…or really anyone…associates with Allegri-ball. I know I was pleasantly surprised.
The game itself saw Milan have more possession than usual, an indication that Milan planned to have the ball and seemed comfortable throughout the game. I was expecting Allegri to sit back more with a Sarri-coached opponent, and he did throughout the game in spurts, but the game was more open than I had anticipated. It was a nice change of pace to see even if I would’ve been fine sitting back more and countering considering the opponent. But a tip of the hat to Allegri for changing it up a little. I want to see more of this against the minnows.
There were two other big moments worth mentioning were Mike Maignan’s amazing save and of course the non-penalty VAR review. First Magic Mike’s save. If you missed it, the fact that he kept out a header with that much force from that distance with one hand is simply amazing. The form Mike is on, perhaps unsurprising in a contract year, resembles the Scudetto season and is a welcomed sight. Maybe it means he leaves after the season, and he’d be worth every dollar he got, but if it helps Milan win another Scudetto, it’ll be a fitting parting gift after he gave Milan a lot of bang for the transfer fee and wage buck.
As for the VAR incident, after watching the replays I thought for sure they were going to give Lazio the penalty in the dying minutes, never mind that I saw Pavlović getting held and being prevented from getting over. It’s a play we’ve seen a thousand times, a play that needs to get called more but never does. It’s a moment that shines a light on how VAR is used, and while I’m a big fan of video replay in any sport, adjustments have to be made in light of the technology, like better defining a handball and even when red cards are warranted.
So I tip my hat to the Italian ref…I know, like what the hell, right?…because he had the guts to say, hey his elbow was out and the ball hit it but he was being held and that impacted his movement and the play. I hope more refs do that and are given direction from the league to encourage more complete accounting of the shenanigans that occurs in the box on corners and dead balls.
To wrap up this section, Milan played a solid game and got the necessary 3 points. I was happy to see a more engaging Milan side, a side playing different football from what we had seen vs Inter. It’s what’s going to be needed vs those lesser sides.
What Happened in Serie A
Milan at the top, baby! Now let’s cover the rest.
Napoli (2nd) beat Roma (4th) 1-0 in the rounds biggest match. A 36 minute Neres goal was enough to keep Napoli equal on points with Milan but back because of Milan’s head-to-head win against them (and Milan has a better goal differential). Inter (3rd), the other team in the top 4, took care of Pisa (18th) 2-0 to get back in the winning column after back-to-back losses.
Como (5th) moved up a spot after their 2-0 win over Sassuolo (10th). Cesc Fábregas was supposed to bring an offensive-minded approach to Como but so far they have a bunch of draws and have conceded the fewest goals in the league along with Roma. Still, 5th place after a third of the season has passed has surely got the Como top brass very happy even if the product on the field looks different than everyone was expecting.
Bologna (6th) got trounced by Cremonese (11th) 3-1. Bologna had been hot with their last loss coming all the way back on September 25th in Europa League. Juventus (7th) held on to beat Cagliari (15th) 2-1 after 2 first half goals. Spalletti has turned Juventus around and has them playing better, winning 5 of their last 8 in all comps, drawing the other 3, albeit not vs the toughest competition. Should be interesting to see how this plays out for the rest of the season.
Udinese (9th) beat Parma (17th) 2-0 while Atalanta (12th) also beat Fiorentina (19th) by a score of 2-0. Torino (13th) lost 2-1 to Lecce (14th) and Genoa (16th) beat Hellas Verona (20th) 2-1 to round out the round.
Now, ratings.
Player Ratings
Goal Keeping
MAIGNAN 8.5 MOTM – Dude is in top form. That save early was a difference maker. Made Lazio realize they were going to have to be near perfect to beat him.
Goal Keeping Overall 8.5
Defense
TOMORI 8 – I mean…(also this reaction)
GABBIA 7 – Loved his reaction to the non-penalty decision.
PAVLOVIĆ 7 – Quietly effective.
Defense Overall 7.5
Midfield
SAELEMAEKERS 7.5 – Another quality game. Reading the overlapping run and using it to find Fofana who then found Tomori who then found Leão but it all started with that not-too-obvious pass.
FOFANA 6.5 – He’s barely getting a 6.5 and that’s because of the hockey assist. But the misses from advantageous positions is getting tiresome and concerning.
MODRIĆ 7.5 – Nice bounce back after a ho-hum game vs Inter.
RABIOT 7 – Not exactly lighting up any scoreboard or stat sheet but his impact in execution and helping to organize the defense has been immaculate.
BARTESAGHI 7.5 – Kid is KILLING IT. Solid in all aspects of the game.
Midfield Overall 7.5
Forwards
NKUNKU 7 – Probably his best game of the season. Yes, he didn’t score (can’t see to get any striker goals this season), but his movement was good off the ball and he seemed to really put a shift in. Nice seeing the improvement.
LEÃO 8 – Dude’s banging in goals at a crazy rate. It would be more insane except Pulisic has him beat! (but just barely)
Forwards Overall 7.5
Subs
LOFTUS-CHEEK 6 – My favorite role for him. Not counting on him for anything except using his big frame to get in the way of the opponent late to preserve a win.
RICCI NA – He played.
Subs Overall – 6
Coaching
ALLEGRI 7 – This was the best photo I could find of him on the Milan website for the match. Look at him, there in the back! Plus it gives me a reason to use a Bartesaghi pic…
As for the game, as mentioned above it was nice to see some possession for a change but I think dropping back more often early in the game would’ve been fruitful especially with Lazio trying hard to get that early lead. I’d still like to see Fofana less but I know Jashari isn’t quite at full fitness. Also, I don’t know if he needed to get the red card but Marco Landucci has done well filling in multiple times already this season.
Overall, I’m holding back most of my critiques as I know Allegri’s hands have been tied with injuries, but the team is getting to near full health on top of a little pile up of fixtures this month. Time to see what Allegri does with more on his plate.
Final Thoughts
Important win and hopefully a sign of things to come as the schedule gets busier this month, including the opportunity to win some trophies. But up next is Lazio…again, tomorrow (Thursday) in Rome for the round of 16 in the Coppa Italia at 3pm EST/7pm GMT.
Forza Milan.
gillis
