Fikayo Tomori returned to action in Milan’s comfortable 1-0 victory over Monza on the road. While the scoreline was close, the Rossoneri backline was impregnable, allowing the hosts few genuine scoring chances. Even though the Milan offense had a disappointing match, the defense and midfield stepped up, helping the visitors to their second straight win.
Ciprian Tatarusanu – 7
Despite Monza testing the goalkeeper early, he remained composed and made two important saves. After the opening moments of the match, Monza’s attack lost its bite, and he had a straightforward final 75 minutes.
Malick Thiaw – 8
In a match where all of Milan’s defenders had strong showings, Thiaw may have been the best. The German was dominant in the air, winning several headers and leading the backline to a clean sheet.
Fikayo Tomori – 8
After a short injury absence, Tomori rejoined the starting 11 for Milan. The centre-back was in fine form for the Rossoneri, effectively neutralizing Andrea Petagna with his physical play and intelligent positioning.
Pierre Kalulu – 7.5
Though Kalulu made an error or two, he won several tackles while dealing with the creative Gianluca Caprari.
Theo Hernandez – 7.5
In a true wing-back position, Theo was in his element. Alongside Rafael Leao, he dominated the left wing and created several chances for his side. His one negative came in the second half, when, instead of squaring the ball to Leao for a tap-in, he chose to shoot himself and missed.
Junior Messias – 8
Despite playing a much more defensive role than usual, it was Messias’ offensive contributions that stood out. As Milan’s attack was struggling to break through, the Brazilian took a quality touch and fired the ball through a crowded box to score the eventual game-winner.
Sandro Tonali – 7
The midfielder put on a good showing, passing the ball well while helping Milan build from the back.
Rade Krunic – 7
Krunic distributed the ball much more effectively against Monza, and, though he had a quiet match, it was a decent showing for the Bosnian.
Rafael Leao – 6.5
Leao was by no means at his best, but he did manage a few decent chances throughout the match. From 25 yards out, he took a wonderful strike that hit the back post, but for most of the night he had trouble bypassing Monza’s back three.
Brahim Diaz – 5.5
In the attacking midfield, Diaz had practically no space or time on the ball thanks to Monza’s double pivot. The backline pressed the Spaniard constantly, and he struggled to provide service to Milan’s wingers or striker.
Divock Origi – 5
With the 36-year-old Olivier Giroud playing a full 90 minutes against Tottenham on Wednesday, Origi got the start against Monza. However, the hold-up man had a disappointing match, registering just one shot on 21 touches.
Monza vs. Milan is so intriguing. Monza undefeated in their last eight in Serie A under Palladino. Milan now on a two game win streak… The Galliani/Berlusconi links – both of them still refer to Milan as "we"
— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) February 18, 2023
Substitutes
Charles De Ketelaere – 5.5
As usual, CDK was unable to provide much of an upgrade after replacing Brahim.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 7
The Belgian immediately lifted the defense, winning several tackles during his short time on the pitch.
Olivier Giroud – 5.5
Milan struggled to connect with Giroud, and the striker had little opportunity to make an impact on the match.