A huge 3-0 victory in the Milan Derby has seen AC Milan close the gap on third place to only six points.
The Milan Derby, always a must-watch fixture for any football fans.
Eighty-thousand fans crammed into the San Siro to see Milan dismantle their neighbours Inter 3-0 in a clear statement of intent from the Rossoneri.
Inter, as of late, have been playing some shocking football and have dropped from top to fourth in a matter of weeks. Milan have been inconsistent all season, sit in sixth place and a win was needed to keep the pressure on the sides above them.
In easily Milan’s best performance of the season, they had control of the game for large portions. They had some luck as Mauro Icardi missed a penalty which would have levelled the game at 1-1, but the Milan attack rallied and scored a quick-fire double to seal the deal.
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Milan showed from the start that they were intent on winning and that anything less would be unacceptable. Juraj Kucka replaced Andrea Bertolacci, a move that showed Milan wanted to match Inter physically in the middle of the park and apply pressure when going forward.
Kucka, who was easily the man of the match, dominated and is starting to show his true colours, with his physicality being a major asset in the derby. He commanded the midfield and was key in winning the ball back to kick-start many of Milan’s attacks.
Keisuke Honda’s performance was also a highlight. The Japanese attacker put in a delightful cross to set up Alex’s early header. Aside from that, his work-rate and discipline was impressive and it looks like he has made the right side of midfield his own.
However, the biggest tick goes to the partnership of Carlos Bacca and M’Baye Niang. Bacca, who, as of late, has been starting to really prove himself, did not do much to influence the game itself. However, he needed just one chance, doubling Milan’s lead. His stats prove that he only needs one shot in a game to get himself on the scoresheet and with his strike partner Niang putting it on a platter for him, he just needed to place it past Handanovic.
Niang also managed to get himself involved, scoring another goal. He carefully finished the third with his second chance and managed to put the game to bed. This comes only days after almost completing a move to Leicester City, only to stay put in Milan. That showed he knows where his loyalties lie: on the red side of the fashion capital.
Milan, however, are not the finished article just yet.
Consistency is the key once again. As we have seen on numerous occasions, Milan seem to struggle to back up their big wins with a follow-up performance of the same quality. If Milan are to prove they have truly turned the corner, they need to back up the derby victory against Palermo on Wednesday night.
Beyond that, Milan must clinch Champions League or Europa League football. The gap is only six points now, so the carat of the Champions League must be the main goal. So yes, Milan fans get excited, but not too excited.
After the season, Milan will be re-evaluated. If they have finished in these positions, then we can decide if they have truly discovered new life. However, the signs do look very good for Milan after that huge win.
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