5TWL | VS PISA
It was a game which presented a fantastic early season opportunity for Milan, with the prize of being four points clear at the summit of Serie A up for grabs, however despite the odds stacked well in their favour, Max Allegri's side couldn't capitalise. Here is this weeks' edition of '5 things we learned'...
1. Milan aren't quite the force of old... yet.
If the game against Pisa told us anything, it's that - despite the early fanfare surrounding the season, AC Milan aren't quite 'back' just yet.
The AC Milan of old would've made light work of a game against the team placed at the foot of Serie A - and without a league win to their name, however the class of 25/26 floundered and didn't build on a positive start to the match.
When Rafa Leao slotted home in the seventh minute, many would have assumed business as usual. But chances came and went. In the second half, the Rossoneri simply didn't get going. Complacency crept in and the hosts looked like they expected to coast through it. Pisa saw an opportunity and took it. First levelling up from the spot before Nzola bounded clear of a scattered backline to fire the visitors into an unexpected lead.
Zachary Athekame spared Milan blushes late on, but that only masked over what was a sluggish and below par display. You expect champions to take charge and dominate fixtures such as this and if Milan are to challenge for the Scudetto this season, they need to up their game against lowly opposition.
2. Defensive solidity went awry - Milan missed Tomori
Milan had only conceded four until the match against Pisa - two of those in the opening day defeat to Cremonense. The backline has been consistent and solid. Typical of an Allegri side you might say.
However last night, particularly in that second half, the defence looked nervy and unsettled. The coach had made one change at the back from the side that beat Fiorentina last Sunday, with De Winter replacing Tomori.
And while I don't think De Winter should be pinpointed for the blame - he was certainly no worse than anyone else, he did give away the penalty and didn't look as assured as you would expect Tomori to be. Consistency counts for a lot, especially in the defence, and Milan were caught napping several times against the bottom side.
3. Gimenez anonymous... again.
The Mexican international hasn't had the best of starts to the season in terms of goal return - he is yet to hit the target in Serie A despite featuring in every game.
What you can usually count on though is his work rate and link up play. For whatever reason however, that aspect of his game was missing last night in a performance which was almost non-existent.
The striker recorded an xG of just 0.09, with just one goal attempt (which was off target) and a FlashScore match rating of 6.3. This game was an opportunity for him to end the goal drought, however he simply didn't get involved.
You could look to blame the service, but the fact is Milan fashioned 20 goal attempts with an overall xG of 1.53, so you would've expected more from Gimenez.
4. Creativity of Saelemaekers and Modric
Once again, these two were the chief source of anything that Milan did well. At times they carried the Rossoneri when it came to creativity, so it is unsurprising that FlashScore rated these as two of the highest rated players during the match (Saelemaekers 7.9 / Modric 7.8).
In fact, only goalscorer Rafael Leao was rated higher (8.0).
This once again shows that the presence of Pulisic and Rabiot is greatly missed.
Pulisic has been involved in 6 fixtures so far, scoring 4 goals and creating 2, with an average FlashScore rating of 8.1 - form which saw him take the crown as Serie A player of the month for September.
Rabiot meanwhile was earning the plaudits of fans and pundits alike before he picked up his injury - having played a key role in the 4 games he took part in.
The quicker those two return to the side, the better.
5. Bartesaghi continues to impress
The emergence of Davide Bartesaghi in recent times has been one of the key positives for Milan.
He is averaging a rating of 7.0 so far this season and certainly hasn't looked out of place when covering for Estupinan at wing-back. The 19 year old offers versatility and could quite easily slot in at centre back if required.
His form this season has earned admirers from abroad, with Arsenal in particular credited with strong interest.
The youngster did however sign a long-term contract in the summer (until 2030) so that should provide some comfort for those who are worried that Milan may cash in on one of their prized assets.
