Milan validated their title bid with a terrific performance against Napoli on the road, once again propelled by a magnificent brace by Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Here are our player ratings for Sunday night’s match at the San Paolo.
Napoli XI
Alex Meret – 5
Perhaps he could not do much more on the first two goals but he did not pull off any above average save and looked shaky overall.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 5
He was run over by Theo Hernandez and Ante Rebic on the flank, plus he missed a point-blank change on a corner kick in the first half that could have changed the complexion of the game.
Kostas Manolas – 5.5
He was a little too soft while trying to slow down Rebic on the second goal but, all in all, he was the Napoli defender who had the best showing thanks to few precise blocks and interceptions.
Kalidou Koulibaly – 5
He was caught ball-watching on the opening goal and lost the direct duel with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the few opponents that can go toe-to-toe with him from a physical standpoint.
Mario Rui – 5.5
He had no chance to deny Ibrahimovic on the second goal and was not great in the back, but furnished a decent contribution on the other end.
Fabian Ruiz – 4.5
He was outclassed by the adversaries and never managed to pull the strings as he is capable of in his best days. Napoli does not function properly when he does not have it going.
Tiemoué Bakayoko – 4.5
The two yellow cards were maybe harsh, but he should have been more careful on the second tackle and he was not a big presence throughout the contest.
Hirving Lozano – 5.5
He tried to generate some offense with twitchy movements all over the final third but he was not as sharp as in other displays.
Matteo Politano – 6.5
One of the lone bright spots for the Partenopei as he was a nuisance for defenders with his multiple sprints and shots from distance.
Lorenzo Insigne – 5
He crashed down to earth after two splendid performances with Italy as he was unable to impose his will and had a limited amount of touches compared to his standards.
Dries Mertens – 6
He scored the goal that kept his side in the game until late, but he also had a pair of misses and was not as involved as one would hope since he was the focal point of the offense.
Napoli Substitutes
Piotr Zielinski – 5
He changed multiple positions but rarely got the ball or did something useful with it.
Andrea Petagna – 5.5
He had a good impact and was the recipient of a pair of very good opportunities but lacked precision in the box, leaving a lot on the table.
Elijf Elmas – N/A
Gennaro Gattuso – 5
Not having two starters is a big blow but it feels like his side has become predictable despite all its quality and plays with too little pace.
Milan XI
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 7
He started off with a great one-handed save on Dries Mertens and was rock-solid for the entirety of the match, also stopping Petagna coming out of the goal very well in a situation that was probably mistakenly ruled an offside in the middle of the second half.
Davide Calabria – 6
He was not very visible but he had to deal with a tough opponent like Lorenzo Insigne and for the most part held his own.
Simon Kjaer – 7
He almost subbed off after a handful of minutes as he stretched his leg out too much on a very valuable intervention, but soldiered on without skipping a beat, thwarting few threatening actions.
Alessio Romagnoli – 6
He chipped in as well with a blunder-free outing but he was not as tidy and deciding as his partner in the back.
Theo Hernandez – 7.5
On top of assisting Ibrahimovic with a fantastic cross in the first half, he was unstoppable whenever he decided to motor down the left wing and also had some key defensive plays.
Franck Kessié – 6.5
His hustle and grit in the midfield are always useful, especially when going against technical outfits. The two Milan midfielders were not superb but severely outplayed their counter-parts.
Ismael Bennacer – 6
He almost had a costly mistake late on a misplaced pass, but he is always the man that makes the engine work with his quick distribution, although he did not have any eye-catching pass.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 6
Milan relied more on the other flank and therefore he did not see many playable balls, nor he used them in effective fashion.
Hakan Calhanoglu – 6.5
Another display where he did not shine, but he connected everybody up front with his passing and had the big merit of starting the action that led to the second and pivotal goal by perfectly springing Ante Rebic loose with a through ball.
Ante Rebic – 7
He had his best game in a while in a big spot, as the Rossoneri were missing Rafael Leao. He produced multiple sprints and clever plays, capping off his day with a gem of an assist as he had a very tight window to set up Ibrahimovic and put his cross out of reach for the goalie and the defenders.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 8
He added two more goals to his impressive tally, netting a glorious header where he left Koulibaly in his tracks and then actually nudging the ball home with his knee on the Rebic feed. He continues to terrorize back-lines with his sheer presence and was unfazed by the fact that he was facing a quality one. Milan fans will be hoping for good news on his thigh injury.
Milan Subtitutes
Samu Castillejo – 6
Similar to Saelemakers, he did not get many touches nor did much when he got the ball.
Jens Petter Hauge – 6.5
He sealed the deal, avoiding late headaches, with an opportunistic finish where he showed off his nose for the goal.
Lorenzo Colombo and Rade Krunic – N/A
Daniele Bonera / Stefano Pioli – 6.5
Milan’s plan is pretty simple and they keep executing it well time and time again.
2 comments
Comments are closed.