Milan came from behind to beat Cagliari 3-1 in an enthralling Serie A contest at Unipol Domus on Wednesday night. Despite falling behind midway through the first half, Stefano Pioli’s men outperformed their hosts to grab a second straight league win.
Zito Luvumbo opened the scoring with a thunderous shot from point-blank, putting Cagliari in front amid the visitors’ relentless early effort to break the deadlock. It looked like Milan had Claudio Ranieri’s side on the ropes despite trailing by a goal heading into halftime.
Christian Pulisic cut inside from the flank and whipped in a teasing low cross. Though it was supposed to end harmlessly in Boris Radunovic’s gloves, the Serbian spilled the ball straight into Noah Okafor’s feat. The Austrian had no problem slotting it into an empty net to bring Milan back on level terms.
On the stroke of halftime, Tijjani Reijnders launched an inviting ball across goal, with Fikayo Tomori making enough contact with it to turn things around and give Milan the lead. Ruben Loftus-Cheek put the game to bed with a stunning long-range effort into the bottom corner.
After a hard-earned win over Hellas Verona at the weekend, Pioli’s men showcased more aggression and energy to take home three points, leaving Cagliari stranded in the relegation zone.
Milan (4-3-3)
Marco Sportiello – 6.5
Luvumbo gave him no chance for the goal, but he made some impressive stops later on, proving Milan right for trusting him to deputize for Mike Maignan.
Alessandro Florenzi – 6
Like many other Milan players, the offensive-minded right-back drastically improved his game compared to the weekend clash against Verona. Yet, he might want to consider passing the ball more frequently rather than crossing without a purpose.
Malick Thiaw – 7.5
It was another phenomenal defensive showing from the ever-improving German center-back. The youngster’s calmness on the ball was nothing short of outstanding, while he barely put a foot wrong defensively.
Fikayo Tomori – 7.5
The Englishman had another decent evening, but he could’ve handled some situations better, like his on-field understanding with Sportiello isn’t good enough yet. But the goal made all of that barely relevant.
Theo Hernandez – 7
His work rate today was outrageous. He was everywhere. Another energetic performance from the household left-back.
Yacine Adli – 7
Despite making less than 150 minutes of Serie A action last season, the Frenchman excelled in Sardinia. He moved the ball around well and looked calm and composed under pressure.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 7
Unlike Adli, the former Chelsea midfielder seemed a bit rusty today. He misplaced several routine-looking passes and was slow to react in a few situations when he could’ve and should’ve done better. But his superb strike from distance made all that irrelevant.
Tijjani Reijnders – 7.5
In addition to delivering a crucial cross leading to Milan’s second goal, the Dutchman pieced together an impressive performance overall. His quick movement off the ball and clean passing kept the visitors ticking over in tumultuous times.
Christian Pulisic – 7
His bursting run down the left flank forced Radunovic’s error and helped Milan get back into the game. After an underwhelming showing against Verona, he was sharp today. He assisted Loftus-Cheek for the third goal.
Samuel Chukwueze – 6.5
While he had nothing to show for it today, the Nigerian winger had a decent game. He showed occasional flashes of his blistering pace and fancy footwork. Unfortunately, Cagliari’s deep backline made it difficult for him to find spaces behind the lines.
Noah Okafor – 6.5
In his first-ever competitive start for Milan, the ex-RB Salzburg forward netted an all-important equalizer, taking advantage of the goalkeeper’s mistake to put the ball in an empty net. Other than the goal, he failed to do much.
Substitutes
Yunus Musah – 7
The USMNT midfielder was brilliant since coming on. His energy was off the charts.
Tommaso Pobega – 6.5
Despite making some sloppy passes, his defensive contribution was admirable.
Luka Romero – 5.5
The prodigious teenager was full of running, but there was no end product.
Rafael Leao – 5
It seems like the media pressure caught up with the Milan wizard. He lost almost every duel tonight.
Davide Bartesaghi – N/A
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