Player Ratings: AC Milan 2-0 Atalanta – Defenders shine; Ibrahimovic returns

AC Milan secured their fourth consecutive win this evening as they beat Atalanta by two goals to nil. Junior Messias managed to get on target again and down below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri.

Maignan (6): It was a very calm evening for the Frenchman as Atalanta had zero shots on target, which is remarkable. We got to see a little of the goalkeeper’s passing, though.

Kalulu (7 – MOTM): He stayed close to his opponent and was always at the right place at the right time for Milan, not only stopping the attackers but also picking up loose balls. He was very good against Hojlund.

Thiaw (7): He was also asked with stopping Hojlund and he did that very well. In addition, he won many aerial duels and his role in the three-man backline is really coming along nicely.

Tomori (6.5): A good display from the Englishman but he wasn’t put under as much pressure as his colleagues, hence the slightly lower rating.

Messias (6.5): Once again, he got on the scoresheet with a lovely dink in the dying minutes of the game. It was a decent display besides that as well, although he did miss a big chance a few minutes before his goal.

Krunic (6.5): He was crucial many times in the defensive phase and remained calm when in possession. As we have become used to, he doesn’t complicate things but that in itself is a skill.

Tonali (6.5): A sweeper this evening with many good contributions both in defence and in attack. There’s not much more to say than that, but he did well.

Hernandez (7): It was a lovely strike from him to give Milan the lead, even if it will go down as an own-goal. He was also solid in defence and created some chances when going forward as well.

Diaz (6): Another mixed performance from him with some very good actions and also some poor ones. He always does well to get into position but the final touch is lacking, bar one occasion when he set Giroud up with a lovely backheel flick.

Giroud (6): He was really good in the first half in the hold-up play, pulling off the flicks and eventually assisting the opening goal. However, he missed too many chances in the second half and the game as a whole.

Leao (6.5): He’s starting to find his rhythm in the new role and while it’s clear he can be the one to guide Milan, there’s still some work to do. He missed a big chance in the second half and sometimes lost out, but he was still very good.

Substitutes
Ibrahimovic (6): It was really nice to see him back on the pitch after such a long time and he had a couple of good moments.

De Ketelaere (6): He had one classic lack-of-confidence moment but otherwise did well with his passing and positioning.