AC Milan failed to clinch a third consecutive win on Saturday, but at least came away with a draw from the game against Leeds United. As always, we have picked out three things that we learned from the performance.
Max Allegri named a semi-strong starting XI for the game, though leaving a lot of the key names out due to the game against Chelsea tomorrow (Sunday). Ardon Jashari got to make his first appearance in the red and black shirt, for example, while Santiago Gimenez was back up front.
Speaking of the striker, he scored the Rossoneri’s only goal of the game with a good finish from inside the box. Leeds found an equaliser in the second half due to a goalkeeping howler, resulting in the 1-1 scoreline. Below are three things that we learned from the game…
1. Sala impresses despite young age
The youngster Emanuele Sala played his first minutes for Milan this pre-season, getting the chance from start by Allegri. It’s safe to say that he delivered, putting in a very mature performance despite his young age (he’s just 17!).
His movement was very good, covering a lot of space and often getting involved, while he managed to showcase some good passing too. In our player ratings, he was named the MOTM with a 7/10, the same as the goalscorer Gimenez got.
The fact that he got stuck in the duel as well, and actually succeeded in some of them, was another very good sign. It felt like he played with no nerves and it paid off. He also should have had an assist, putting Gimenez through on goal with a lovely pass (the Mexican slipped, sadly).
Clearly, there is still a lot of talent in the Milan academy even after Mattia Liberali’s departure. You would imagine that Sala will spend most of his time with the Primavera this season but some time with the Futuro could also do a lot of good.
2. Evident defensive approach
Although Allegri named a 4-3-3 formation on paper, it became clear rather quickly that it was something very different out of possesion. Indeed, instead of playing as a midfielder, Yunus Musah dropped down and right to act as a wing-back of sorts.
In other words, it was more of a five-man backline, which allowed Milan to sit very deep while Leeds dominated possession for large parts of the game. The English side had a couple of good chances but in the end, they only scored because Pietro Terracciano made a howler in goal.
As we also said after the other friendlies this summer, Allegri has already left a clear mark on this team and it starts with the defending. Considering that last season was more ‘experimental’ in terms of tactics, going back to the basics doesn’t sound like such a bad thing.
It’s not just about counter-attack football either, as the Perth Glory game made clear, but it would be interesting to see Milan run a game a bit more against a tougher opponent. Perhaps we can see it already against Chelsea tomorrow, although it seems unlikely.
3. Best possible start for Santi
It goes without saying that Gimenez got off to a flying start. Yes, he missed a very good chance due to the aforementioned slip, but he showed how clinical he can be with the goal. Weaker foot or not, it doesn’t matter for the Mexican.
After the game, the No.7 said “for a striker, the best way to come back is to score” in his interview with DAZN. Considering that he had a tough first six months at Milan, in addition to the recent rumours about a new striker arriving, the goal must be a huge confidence boost.
He probably knows that even if a striker were to arrive, he will still get a lot of playing time as Milan cannot exactly rely on one player for the role (been there, done that!). But he still needs to deliver, not just to convince the Rossoneri but also himself.
