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AC Milan played their final friendly clash of the USA pre-season tour on Wednesday morning and unfortunately, they failed to grab their first win. Barcelona prevailed 1-0 and the Rossoneri will now travel back to Italy, where an additional four friendlies are on the agenda.
Stefano Pioli’s men lost the first game in the United States, with Real Madrid coming back from 2-0 behind, and then drew the second one 2-2 against league rivals Juventus. Therefore, they were hoping to grab at least one win this morning, taking on Barcelona in Las Vegas.
After a shaky and underwhelming start, Milan improved and eventually put up a decent fight with Barcelona who, however, rested many of their stars. The Catalan side deservedly took the lead at the start of the second half through Ansu Fati, who scored a really nice goal after cutting inside with his right foot.
Milan had their fair share of chances to get back into the game but the final touch was lacking. This was especially evident when Tijjani Reijnders won the ball back and made a really good run into the box, only to completely squander his shot. It was really a perfect setup from Rafael Leao, too.
The Rossoneri thus ended their USA tour on a negative note as the performance wasn’t quite what the fans had hoped for. On the other hand, the pre-season is never a time of great tactical/team performances and Milan still have three weeks left to work on their game ahead of the season opener.
Samuel Chukwueze and Yunus Musah will be waiting for the team in Italy, with training set to resume on Sunday this week. Furthermore, there could still be a few more reinforcements from the mercato. What’s clear, however, is that this Milan side still needs time to fully gel.
Therefore, it’s good that Milan have an additional four friendlies scheduled before the season opener against Bologna: Monza on August 8 (U-Power Stadium), Trento on August 9 (Milanello), Tunisian side Etoile Sportive du Sahel on August 12 (Milanello) and Novara on August 13 (Milanello).
As you can tell, Milan have bundled these four games into two pairs. This means that the players that won’t play much in the first game, will play more in the second game and vice versa. It’s a way for Pioli to give his entire squad a chance, which is needed given that some players still need to be evaluated - but the expected starting XI must also get a run for its money.
News bulletin
➤ Following the defeat against Barcelona, Stefano Pioli described the pre-season tour in USA as ‘very positive’ given that Milan got to play against high-level opponents. However, he also admitted that his side needs more time in order to fully gel with all of the new signings.
➤ Charles De Ketelaere continues to be linked with a transfer and it seems Real Sociedad are now in pole position for his services. They are willing to pay the €28m price tag and Milan could also accept a paid loan with an obligation to buy at a slightly lower fee (allowing them to make a capital gain).
➤ Thanks to a number of sales, Milan could bring in a centre-back, a left-back, a midfielder and a striker before the transfer window closes. The Rosario Central star Alejo Veliz could be the man for the No.9 role while Lecce’s Morten Hjulmand has appeared on the Rossoneri’s radar again.
➤ After Ante Rebic, Rade Krunic and Junior Messias have both been linked with a move to Turkey this summer. The midfielder has said yes to Fenerbahce but Milan want at least €10-15m, while the winger is currently inclined to snub Besiktas as he wants to stay in Italy.
➤ Milan have secured the signing of the 16-year-old attacking midfielder Mateusz Skoczylas, who arrives from the Polish side Zaglebie Lubin and will join the Primavera. You can take a look at his highlights here.
➤ Milan are in talks with ‘multiple’ Saudi Arabian clubs and this appears to be the most likely destination for Divock Origi. The Rossoneri are keen on making a capital gain and getting the striker’s €4m salary off the wage bill.
In case you missed it
Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, and our latest bonus podcast in which the lads discuss Okafor’s arrival. You can also read our latest bonus article, which explains the mercato in financial terms. Are you interested in a paid subscription? Read all about it here.