Take your kids to work (and let them work) day [Newsletter]
Milan clinched their ticket for the Coppa Italia quarter-finals with a comfortable 4-1 win against Cagliari on Tuesday evening. Despite fielding a makeshift eleven, Stefano Pioli got a very good response from the players and the youngsters impressed, with Chaka Traore even bagging his first goal for the senior team.
Beforehand, once the probable eleven dropped, many Rossoneri fans predicted the game to have one of two outcomes: an impressive win or a really poor defeat. Claudio Ranieri decided to rotate his side quite heavily as well and it thus ended up being a ‘fair’ match-up, but Milan still showed that they are miles ahead.
The likes of Jan-Carlo Simic, Alex Jimenez, Luka Romero and Chaka Traore all got the chance from the first minute. The Primavera lads impressed a lot, thus excluding Romero who was less successful, and the highest-scoring youngsters in our player ratings were Simic and Traore at 7/10.
Jimenez also stood out, coming in at 6.5/10, as he showcased a ridiculous acceleration and above all a willingness to make a difference in the attacking phase. He arrived on loan from Real Madrid in the summer and Milan have a buy-out option at €5m, which they surely will trigger. The Bernabeu side do have a buy-back, but they might not use it.
Of course, it’s not sustainable to keep borrowing the Primavera stars week in and week out, but having some on occasion is just what you want. After all, the academy’s purpose is to develop players for the first team. Some will be sold along the way, but others could become important players for the club.
In any case, Milan can now hopefully look forward to the rest of the season with some optimism, especially since January reinforcements are expected. Regardless of what happens, though, we will all remember this campaign as the one in which the youngsters stepped up - playing with confidence and pride.
This shows that the Rossoneri are doing something right, and now they just need to get to the bottom of the not-so-trivial injury issue at play. The San Siro was rocking again last night and that might go a long way to bringing some life into this season, but the management also knows that now is the time to make something happen if they can.
News bulletin
➤ There was a short break for the Primavera in league action, but it has certainly not been quiet for some of the team's stars as Kevin Zeroli and Alex Jimenez made their first appearances, Chaka Traore scored on his first start and Francesco Camarda was back on the bench for the senior side.
➤ Stefano Pioli chose to name quite an interesting starting line-up for the cup and it paid off given Milan beat Cagliari 4-1. Before the game, Sky's Peppe Di Stefano reported that the decision to rotate was supported by the club’s management given the need to rest starters and more focus on the league.
➤ Matteo Gabbia landed back in Italy on Tuesday evening ahead of rejoining Milan following the termination of his season-long loan deal at Villarreal, and he spoke to reporters upon arrival about reigniting his 'dream' of becoming a starter for the club.
➤ Who might join him in January? Geoffrey Moncada gave little away, but the latest rumours doing the rounds concern Verona's Filippo Terracciano, Brest's Lilian Brassier, Aston Villa's Jhon Duran and Salernitana's Boulaye Dia. Meanwhile, Rade Krunic seems to be heading for the exit door.
➤ Luka Jovic was decisive again for Milan during the cup win over Cagliari with a brace in the first half, and his recent form has sent a message to the management regarding his playing time and his future.
➤ During the past week we have had a couple of reflective features on our site, including our 'Best of 2023' nominations for various categories and how Pioli always seems to survive the 'backs against the wall' situations.
In case you missed it
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