Milan were held to a goalless draw by Sampdoria on Monday and unsurprisingly, many key individuals failed to deliver in a disappointing performance.
That’s now three straight Serie A games in which Milan have failed to score, while it’s another two points dropped as we continue to slip up.
SEE MORE: Five key talking points as Milan disappoint again in draw with Sampdoria
Given that poor run of form and with Zlatan Ibrahimovic unable to get us back to winning ways, it will be interesting to see what Stefano Pioli does this weekend against Cagliari in terms of any changes he decides he needs to make.
Gianluigi Donnarumma; 7 – Made some crucial saves to deny Sampdoria, and while he was a little rash coming off his line, secured a deserved clean sheet after an important impact.
Davide Calabria; 5 – Stepped in to replace Andrea Conti, and while there were some positives in his display, there were also shaky moments defensively and little quality going forward.
Mateo Musacchio; 6 – Did well to keep things tight at the back with Sampdoria limited in terms of their threat up front.
Alessio Romagnoli; 6 – Similarly to his defensive partner, marshalled the backline well to pick up a clean sheet as they responded relatively well after the heavy defeat to Atalanta. That said, they did look vulnerable at times and had some good fortune, so still plenty to work on.
Theo Hernandez; 6 – Not as influential as he has been in previous games, but always a threat down the left flank and adds much-needed intensity and urgency to the side on and off the ball.
Rade Krunic; 5.5 – A decent performance as he was given the nod ahead of Franck Kessie, but it remains to be seen if it was enough to keep his place. Worked hard in midfield and got into good positions in the final third, but lacked that bit of quality needed.
Ismael Bennacer; 6 – Still capable of making silly mistakes and misplaced passes, but he had a growing influence as the game went on as his ability to spread the play and pass the ball accurately and quickly put our creative players in threatening positions. Solid display, as he showed good strength and speed in breaking forward too as a more advanced role could suit him.
Giacomo Bonaventura; 5.5 – Not as threatening as he has been in recent outings, but did look like a spark at times and had a good chance which was well blocked. Disappointing to see him come off just as Ibrahimovic came on, but it’s hoped that he can work off him well in the coming weeks and months.
Suso; 4 – Simply nothing worked for him. Whether it was trying to get past his man, finding a teammate with a clever pass or a delivery into the box. His distribution was poor, his threat non-existent and the clock is surely ticking on his time in the starting XI. Will no doubt be lacking confidence too having been consistently jeered by the home faithful after yet another below-par performance.
Krzysztof Piatek; 5 – Same story for the struggling forward, as he couldn’t find space to be a threat and was largely ineffective before being brought off. A two-man attack could be the answer moving forward as he needs support up front and playing off Ibrahimovic could help him be more dangerous in and around the box.
Hakan Calhanoglu; 5.5 – Improved in the second half, but still not good enough. Milan need more from our creative players, and Calhanoglu along with Suso are falling short. His work rate and determination is appreciated, but it needs quality to match.
Substitutes:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic; 6 – As far as a first appearance back goes, it was pretty impressive from the 38-year-old as he made a positive impact in the second half. Will feel he should have perhaps scored but looked a threat and linked up well with others and as he improves in terms of fitness, it’s clear that he can still give opposition defences real problems.
Rafael Leao; 5.5 – Good impact as his pace, movement and ability to get in behind provided a new threat for Milan. Not clinical with his chances and a little lazy off the ball from a defensive perspective, but if he can be more decisive then it won’t be as important.
Lucas Paqueta; N/A.