Junior Messias scored a brace in his first start as Milan returned to its winning ways. Despite dropping its two previous matches, the Rossoneri overcame Genoa and new manager Andriy Shevchenko thanks to the Brazilian and a free kick strike from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The hosts created a number of chances, but Milan dominated the match and reclaimed second place in the league table, one point behind Napoli.
Genoa
Salvatore Sirigu – 5.5
The Italian international perhaps could have done more on Zlatan’s opening goal, but the wall was also partially to blame.
Zinho Vanheusden – 6.5
On loan from Inter, Vanheusden has finally managed to earn playing time for the new Rossoblu manager. He performed well against Milan, winning several aerial battles and other challenges.
Andrea Masiello – 4.5
The 35-year-old failed to contain Zlatan and was a liability for the backline. He was dispossessed twice and was taken off after picking up a yellow card.
Johan Vasquez – 6
Despite committing a number of rough fouls, the Mexican had a solid night. He made several tackles and helped prevent a larger deficit after the first half.
Paolo Ghiglione – 7
Ghiglione was phenomenal on the right wing and overcame Theo Hernandez’s poor defensive efforts. He frequently played in crosses, but the wing-back was unable to open his side’s account.
Andrea Cambiaso – 7
By far Genoa’s most threatening player, Cambiaso showed off his creative abilities on the wing. He was able to spark chances against Matteo Gabbia in spite of Pierre Kalulu’s great play from full-back.
Milan Badelj – 6
Badelj had an average match, playing deep and helping Genoa occasionally build from the back.
Stefano Sturaro – 5
The Milan midfield dominated Sturaro, who managed just 14 touches in the first half. After the break, Shevchenko replaced him with the more creative Hernani.
Nicolo Rovella – 7
Genoa’s rising star had a nice match. He looked dangerous and played well alongside Andrea Cambiaso. Early in the second half, he nearly halved the deficit on a free kick, forcing a quality save from Mike Maignan.
Flavio Bianchi – 4
Bianchi was unable to involve himself in the match, recording just one shot and a poor passing percentage. Shevchenko eventually took the forward off in the second half.
Caleb Ekuban – 5
Like his partner, Ekuban had a forgettable match. The striker had trouble finding the ball and displayed little creative ability. He was especially poor against Fikayo Tomori.
Substitutions
Hernani – 6.5
Hernani brought needed creativity into Genoa’s midfield, but his play was not enough to inspire the Genoa offense.
Goran Pandev – 5
The 38-year-old looked to be the better option when replacing Bianchi, but, like his teammates, he struggled to make an impact against Milan’s elite backline.
Pablo Galdames – 6
Shevchenko introduced to Galdames in the hopes of reinforcing the midfield, which was somewhat successful. Badelj’s replacement played deep and helped see out the match.
Mattia Bani – N/A
Manolo Portanova – N/A
During his first spell with Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic played with Clarence Seedorf.
Today during his second spell with Milan, Zlatan and Seedorf reunited ? pic.twitter.com/opYnPCEAbg
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 24, 2021
Milan
Mike Maignan – 8
Maignan was in top form for Milan. He made one particularly fine save, diving to beat Rovella’s shot from a free kick. The goalkeeper has been one of Pioli’s best players this season and has earned a return to the French national team.
Pierre Kalulu – 7
Pioli gave Davide Calabria the night off and started Kalulu in his place. The 21-year-old played high up the field, allowing Junior Messias to drift inside. He was also active defensively and played a physical match.
Simon Kjaer – N/A
The Dane went down after a dangerous tackle early in the match. Matteo Gabbia replaced him in the fifth minute when Kjaer was taken off in a stretcher.
Fikayo Tomori – 8.5
Tomori had another fantastic showing. The centre-back won several tackles and firmly denied Genoa’s forwards any space to attack. He also aided Matteo Gabbia, who was out of form when entering the match.
Theo Hernandez – 6
Despite neglecting his defensive duties, Hernandez was involved in the offense and helped drive the ball on the wing.
Sandro Tonali – 7
The young prospect continues to show why he is starting over Ismael Bennacer. Tonali’s distribution was elite against Genoa, and he continued to give high level defensive support.
Franck Kessie – 7
Kessie provided his usual quality play, disrupting the Genoa attacking midfield. He ensured that the hosts were unable to build sustained attacks through the middle of the pitch.
Brahim Diaz – 6
Diaz had an inconsistent game, alternating between looking dangerous and seeming lost. Milan may need to find another attacking midfielder in the transfer window.
Rade Krunic – 5
Though he managed a handful of shots, Krunic largely played his typical functional role. At times, he seemed to crowd the space of other Milan attackers, and he was mostly uninspiring.
Junior Messias – 8
Making his first start with the Rossoneri, Messias scored a header to double the lead. When a defender deflected Krunic’s shot into the air, the Brazilian midfielder fired the ball past Sirigu. He completed his brace with a fine strike, confirming the victory for Milan.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 7.5
The Swede opened scoring with a brilliant free kick from 25 yards out. His shot flew into the bottom right corner of the net and left Sirigu rooted in place. Overall, Ibrahimovic was involved and managed several dangerous shots.
Substitutions
Matteo Gabbia – 5
With Alessio Romagnoli out due to a suspension, Gabbia replaced Kjaer after his leg injury. He struggled with his distribution and was lucky not to receive a red card early in the match, and Alessio Florenzi replaced him at halftime.
Alessio Florenzi – 6.5
The former Roma man replaced Gabbia at halftime, allowing Kalulu to slide over to centre-back. He played a deeper role than usual and provided quality play in relief.
Pietro Pellegri – 5
Pellegrini replaced 40-year-old Zlatan with the match clearly finished. He failed to impact the match with Milan content to run out the clock.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – N/A
Alexis Saelemaekers – N/A