15 points and joint-first [Newsletter]
It’s been a busy week for AC Milan so far and there is still more to come. After officially announcing their stadium project in San Donato, the Rossoneri managed to beat Cagliari 3-1 after coming back from behind. In addition to that, it has been reported that they will have a B-team from next season.
Stefano Pioli and his men got back to winning ways with the win against Hellas Verona at the weekend and that was crucial, even though the game itself was scrappy. Yesterday evening, they extended their winning winning run after coming back from behind against Cagliari, once again fielding quite a few reserves.
Yacine Adli was the No.6 due to Rade Krunic’s injury and the Frenchman impressed with his passing, as well as his defensive work (excluding the goal conceded). Yunus Musah then replaced him in the second half and also did a very good job in that role, which was a huge relief for Pioli ahead of the Lazio and Dortmund games.
Milan should be especially pleased with the win as Cagliari defended with all of their men and the Rossoneri have previously struggled against low-sitting teams. Noah Okafor made the most of a goalkeeping mistake to make it 1-1 after Tijjani Reijnders and Christian Pulisic combined well. Reijnders then found Fikayo Tomori after a corner routine, turning the game around in just five minutes.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s screamer was the icing on the cake for the Rossoneri, making it five wins out of six in the league this season. Actually, Inter’s defeat against Sassuolo was probably the icing on the cake, as the Milano teams now are joint-first with 15 points (Scudetto is decided by a play-off game if the top two teams are on the same points).
Lazio are up next and that game is scheduled for 18:00 CEST this Saturday. There’s no time for the Rossoneri to rest, therefore, and it will be important to get another confidence boost ahead of the Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund. With the depth starting to shine, Pioli can feel more comfortable heading into the final games before the break.
Amidst all of this, as mentioned, Milan also officially announced their stadium project for the San Donato area (which we will discuss further in an upcoming bonus article) and it’s looking very promising indeed. In addition to the stadium, the Rossoneri will also have a new club museum, an AC Milan store, a new headquarters, a hotel, and an entertainment district.
News bulletin
➤ Milan’s Primavera side continued their excellent start to the season with a 3-0 victory against Juventus in the league and a 7-0 cup win over Virtus Entella. Francesco Camarda now has six goals in six games, continuing his incredible rise.
➤ Continuing with the youth set-up, Milan look set to push ahead with plans to have a second team competing in Serie C from 2024, after Juventus (Next Gen) and Atalanta did similarly. The new head of the youth sector Vincenzo Vergine was a big advocate.
➤ Yacine Adli has patiently waited for his turn and he got his first start of the season against Cagliari. La Gazzetta dello Sport provided some background on what happened over the summer amid interest from several clubs, while the player himself lifted the lid after the game.
➤ In terms of mercato rumours, Milan are believed to be interested in signing Juan Miranda on a free transfer, while in the past week there have been links with Santiago Gimenez and Benjamin Sesko for the striker position.
➤ Milan's financial situation continues to go from strength to strength. The board met on Wednesday to approve the 2022-23 accounts and the Rossoneri have posted a profit for the first time since 2006, as well as record revenues.
➤ On the renewal front, it seems the club will push forward with talks over an extension for Rade Krunic despite his injury, while more has emerged about Mike Maignan's demands as discussions continue on that front.
In case you missed it
Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, and our latest bonus podcast in which the lads discuss Ibra’s potential return (new episode out tomorrow). We have also published quite a few bonus articles lately, with some exciting series on the cards as well. Are you interested in a paid subscription? Read all about it here.