After last week’s draw in Bergamo, Milan rebounded with an easy win against Bologna. The hosts’ defense was in elite form and did not allow its opponents a single shot on goal. Charles De Ketelaere provided an assist in his first start for the club, and Olivier Giroud, Pierre Kalulu and Theo Hernandez also turned in top performances.
Milan
Mike Maignan – 6.5
A strong performance by the Milan backline essentially gave Maignan the day off. The goalkeeper did not face a single shot on target and turned away a decent attempt that looked destined for the post.
Davide Calabria – 6
Calabria defended well against young talent Andrea Cambiaso, but he did not do much on the offensive side of the ball.
Pierre Kalulu – 8
After his inconsistent performance against Atalanta, Kalulu rebounded with one of the best games of his career. He was exceptional in his one-on-one defending and dominated in the air, making it difficult for Bologna to complete crosses.
Fikayo Tomori – 7
Tomori played very well against Marko Arnautovic, who was unable to generate many shooting opportunities. However, he was incredibly fortunate not to concede a penalty late in the match, when he seemingly took down Nicola Sansone in the box.
Theo Hernandez – 8
The French defender turned in a classic performance, driving the ball on the left wing and winning key tackles in the defensive third. Against Bologna’s compact three-man backline, Hernandez and Rafael Leao were able to exploit the ample space in the channel.
Sandro Tonali – 5.5
Though he was not terrible, Tonali was certainly not at his best. He made a number of clumsy challenges, and he lacked the incisive through-balls that he provided against Atalanta.
Ismael Bennacer – 6.5
After his world-class performance in Bergamo, Bennacer was much quieter against Bologna. He won a number of tackles and completed a high percentage of his passes, being an essential cog in the 2-0 victory.
Charles De Ketelaere – 8.5
Finally getting his first start for Milan, the young Belgian was in fine form. He played with more physicality and less technical ability than Brahim Diaz, preferring to float between the central and the attacking midfield. De Ketelaere was instrumental in Milan’s opening goal, winning a tackle in the midfield before finding Leao for the assist.
Junior Messias – 5.5
Once again, Messias was underwhelming on the right wing. His finishing continues to be a serious weakness, and, despite his impressive work rate, he is unable to consistently create attacking chances.
Rafael Leao – 7
Leao was impressive in the first half, as his skill and pace gave him a significant advantage against the Bologna defense. He combined well with De Ketelaere and converted an easy, point-blank goal to open scoring for his side.
Olivier Giroud – 8
Finally back to full fitness, Giroud was fantastic as the number nine. During the first half, he provided important hold-up play, creating space and dragging defenders out of position. In the second 45, he scored his first goal of the season, putting the game away for the Rossoneri.
Substitutes
Yacine Adli – 5
Adli struggled to influence the match and was booked for a needless yellow card late in the game.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 6.5
The Belgian replaced his fellow countryman and looked better than his last appearance.
Tommaso Pobega – 6
After his successful season at Torino, Pobega played for a solid 30 minutes in his second appearance.
Matteo Gabbia – N/A
Fode Ballo-Toure – N/A
#ACMilan’s streak of 18 consecutive unbeaten league games (W12 D6) is the longest unbeaten run currently ongoing in the top 5 European Leagues. pic.twitter.com/N8khrtyIS7
— MilanData? (@acmilandata) August 27, 2022
Bologna
Lukasz Skorupski – 7.5
Despite his side’s loss, the Polish net-minder played at a high level. He grabbed several dangerous crosses out of the air and made a phenomenal save against Pierre Kalulu on a breakaway chance.
Jhon Lucumi – 7
Just two days after moving from Genk, Lucumi was thrust into the backline and was tasked with marking Giroud. The 24-year-old was the best Bologna defender, shutting down a majority of Milan’s attacks coming from the left wing.
Gary Medel – 5
From a hybrid defensive midfield/centre-back role, the 34-year-old struggled mightily against the height and physicality of Leao and Giroud. Milan’s left winger burned him more than once, exposing his lack of pace on counter attacks.
Adama Soumaoro – 6
The French defender won a couple of important tackles, but the skill and pace of Leao was too much for him on the wing.
Andrea Cambiaso – 5.5
The Juventus loanee had his moments, but he failed to provide the quality crosses or consistency that he showed last season at Genoa.
Nicolas Dominguez – 5
Bologna desperately needed creativity in the centre of the pitch, but Dominguez was unable to consistently provide it. He managed a few clever combinations with Arnautovic, but it was not enough to break through the Milan defense.
Jerdy Schouten – 7
Even though his turnover led to Milan’s opening goal, Schouten was Bologna’s most impressive midfielder for much of the match. Late in the first half, he made a key block on the backline, and he also occasionally joined Bologna’s languishing attack.
Denso Kasius – 6.5
With Milan’s central defense seemingly impregnable, Kasius, along with Emanuel Vignato, created some of Bologna’s only attacking chances on the right wing. The midfielder’s movement and quick passing gave the Rossoblu a flicker of hope, but it was ultimately not enough.
Musa Barrow – 5
Nominally playing as the left-sided forward, Bologna’s young star was not involved nearly enough. Early in the match, he played an open, free-roaming role, but his influence waned as time elapsed.
Emanuel Vignato – 6
The young Italian made a number of nice plays in the midfield, combining and rotating with Kasius. Unfortunately, his play dropped in the second half, and he was removed in favor of Roberto Soriano.
Marko Arnautovic – 5
The forward struggled against Milan’s two centre-backs, who did not allow him time or space to find decent shooting chances. In the second half, he had to drop deep into the midfield to find the ball.
Substitutes
Nicola Sansone – 7
Sansone’s entrance to the match injected pace and creativity into Bologna’s attack. From the right wing, the midfielder immediately challenged Calabria on the dribble and greatly improved his side’s offensive acumen.
Roberto Soriano – 5
The Bologna captain did not add much to the visitor’s attack after his introduction.