Milan produced an incredible turnaround as we secured a 4-2 win over Juventus on Tuesday night, having trailed by two goals with less than 30 minutes remaining.
Goals from Adrien Rabiot and Cristiano Ronaldo had seemingly set the Bianconeri on their way to three points at San Siro, but fortunately we were able to mount a stirring comeback.
READ MORE: Five key talking points as Milan run riot to seal memorable 4-2 win over Juventus
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s penalty sparked life back into us, as Franck Kessie, Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic then delivered in quick succession to see off the reigning Serie A champions to seal a result which temporarily at least moves us up to fifth place.
Milan player ratings vs Juventus…
Gianluigi Donnarumma, 7.5 – Couldn’t do much more to prevent the goals, but somewhere amidst the madness of our four-goal spree in the second half, he made a decisive save to deny Daniele Rugani when we led 3-2. It may get lost amongst all the other talking points, but it was a crucial contribution.
Andrea Conti, 7 – Starting to deliver consistently now as he didn’t let his concentration slip defensively and tried to get forward to offer width when possible. Still areas to work on, but much improved since the restart.
Simon Kjaer, 6 – Was enjoying a great game but was then partly at fault for both goals. Both he and his central defensive partner were deceived to follow Gonzalo Higuain’s run which opened up the space for Rabiot, before the pair then collided into each other to give Ronaldo a one-on-one situation which he took full advantage of.
Alessio Romagnoli, 5.5 – At fault for both the goals as the threat emanated from his side of the pitch and his decision-making was ultimately costly. Those situations aside he was solid, but those were two big moments in the game which thankfully didn’t cost us in the end.
Theo Hernandez, 6.5 – The opening goal was almost a wake-up call for him as he sprung into life and started to attack down the left flank with a bit more urgency. Should have done better to stop Rabiot in his tracks before his classy strike, but otherwise a decent performance.
Franck Kessie, 7.5 – Tireless effort in midfield as although Juve were very clever with their movement and play on and off the ball, he kept plugging away to try and keep us in the game. Rewarded with a goal, and he took it brilliantly having shown real composure and quality to take his time and put the ball into the back of the net in clinical fashion.
Ismael Bennacer, 7 – Broke up Juventus possession on countless occasions and even with a yellow card to his name, showed the same level of intensity and hunger to win the midfield battle. Not quite as influential as Kessie who also gets bumped up for scoring, but another fine display from the combative Algerian international.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 6 – Did well to keep Danilo quiet and his work-rate down the right side was important. That said, not particularly influential and we certainly improved after his replacement Leao came on.
Ante Rebic, 7.5 – Won the penalty which got us back into the game, scored our fourth to wrap things up and looked a real problem for the Juventus backline when he was moved up top to lead the line with his pace and movement. His turnaround since January has been superb, and it epitomises the resurgence from Milan as a whole.
Lucas Paqueta, 6 – This was arguably Pioli’s only mistake on the night as the match-up with Juan Cuadrado was one that Paqueta struggled with and got booked to further complicate matters. Showed glimpses of quality, but should have been played through the middle and he could have been more effective.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 7 – Brilliant penalty to get us back into the game and his leadership and guidance is undoubtedly priceless for the younger players in the squad as he was seen offering his help from the sidelines even after coming off. Did struggle at times to win his battle with Leonardo Bonucci and was wasteful in possession, but perhaps that will improve along with his fitness.
Substitutes
Hakan Calhanoglu, 6.5 – Made a positive impact after coming on. Showed quality in attack, and the lift he provided the team was obvious as we found a different gear in attack as we launched our comeback.
Rafael Leao, 7 – Another decisive contribution off the bench as he scored the third goal to put us ahead, and importantly, he showed the right attitude and desire as a whole as we firstly chased the game and then looked to put it to bed.
Giacomo Bonaventura, 6.5 – An important impact from the veteran as he showed intelligence on and off the ball to help us secure all three points.
Davide Calabria, N/A
Rade Krunic, N/A