AC Milan further strengthened their grip on third place in Serie A on Matchday 20 as they got the better of Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma, beating the Giallorossi 3-1.
The game started with Roma looking like the brighter side which was a surprise, but they could not find a way through and Yacine Adli soon put the Rossoneri 1-0 up with a today finish after a good move.
It took until the second half for Milan’s dominance to yield another goal, but it came through the familiar source of Olivier Giroud. Milan were cruising, but the game soon flipped, as Davide Calabria took Leandro Paredes down in the box and the Argentine scored the penalty with 20 minutes to play.
Suddenly, Roma had a lifeline and looked determined to use it. The danger was averted in the 84th minute as a wonderful touch from Giroud sent Theo Hernandez into the box and he rifled it in off the bar.
The win gives Milan an eight-point lead over Fiorentina in fourth. You can read our player ratings here, while below are some of the best stats…
An overall look
The general stats suggest that this clash at San Siro was a much more even affair than it actually was. Whilst Roma started with intent, they did not have a foothold in the game at all until the penalty from Paredes in the 69th minute.
Milan shaded the xG and ended up with slightly less possession (48%), which is down to the head of steam Roma built up after the penalty. The Rossoneri had five more shots than Roma, although both teams had five on target.
📊 The stats from the win against Roma pic.twitter.com/bsIcauCyFW
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) January 14, 2024
French connection
AC Milan managed to make history in this game from a French perspective. With Giroud, Adli and Hernandez scoring the three goals for the Rossoneri, it was the first time ever that a team in Serie A has scored with three different French players in one game.
It was only recently that Adli declared for France rather than the Algerian national team which he is also eligible for. He is not a common name among the goals for Milan, whilst Giroud and Hernandez have scored together before.
In #MilanRoma – with Yacine Adli, Olivier Giroud and Théo Hernández each getting a goal – a team scored with 3 different French players in a single match for the first time in Serie A history.
[via @OptaPaolo] pic.twitter.com/35hLgeaVxg
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) January 15, 2024
A long time coming…
It is no secret that Milan have not been anywhere near as successful a team as the club’s stature demands over the past decade, and Girud illustrated one of the reasons why with his goal against Roma.
The Frenchman has now reached double figures for the third season in a row for Milan. No Rossoneri striker has been able to do that since Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato did it between 2008/09 and 2010/11.
Milan need to make sure that whichever striker they sign to succeed Giroud has got that sort of consistent goalscoring in their locker if the club are to take the next steps towards the top table of European football.
.@_OlivierGiroud_ has reached double figures in goals for the third season in a row in Serie A. The last #ACMilan player to do so prior to the Frenchman was Alexandre Pato (between 2008-09 and 2010-11).
[via @OptaPaolo] pic.twitter.com/ZRdjBRXeGF
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) January 14, 2024
Adli is back amongst it
The win over Roma was something of a breakout performance for Adli in a Milan shirt, and one that he has been waiting a very long time for.
Regardless of the fact that he scored the first goal of the game, his overall play was deeply impressive and the midfielder could be carving out an important role in the team.
Having been loaned back to Bordeaux and then failing to have any impact at Milan last season, Adli has finally scored in a ‘top five’ European league for the first time since October 31, 2021, when he scored against Reims for Bordeaux. He has waited 805 days for that moment.
Yacine Adli found the net in a 'top five' European League match for the first time since 31 October 2021 (against Reims for Bordeaux), ending an 805-day wait.
[via @OptaPaolo] pic.twitter.com/9SDekdwFlS
— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) January 15, 2024
Yacine Adli vs. Roma
➤ 1 goal
➤ 80 touches
➤ 56/61 completed passes (92%)
➤ 10 passes into final third
➤ 2 chances created
➤ 4/4 completed long balls
➤ 3/3 tackles won
➤ 7/9 ground duels won
➤ 2/3 aerial duels won
➤ 5 recoveries
➤ 2 clearances
➤ 2 interceptions pic.twitter.com/qbI3hsa2qG— MilanData📊 (@acmilandata) January 15, 2024
The details
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Theo (89′ Jimenez); Adli (89′ Zeroli), Reijnders; Pulisic (79′ Okafor), Loftus-Cheek, Leao (79′ Musah); Giroud. Subs: Mirante, Nava, Simic, Bartesaghi, Terracciano, Romero, Chaka Traoré, Jovic.
AS Roma (3-5-2): Svilar; Kristensen, Mancini (46′ Pellegrini), Llorente (78′ Dean Huijsen); Celik (78′ Zalewski), Cristante, Paredes, Bove, Zalewski; El Shaarawy (61′ Belotti), Lukaku. Subs: Rui Patricio, Boer, Karsdorp, Pisilli, Joao Costa.
Referee: Marco Guida from Pompei
Goals: 11′ Adli (M), 56′ Giroud (M), 69′ pen. Paredes (R), 84′ Theo (M)
Booked: 43′ Mancini (R), 56′ Cristante (R), 71′ Kjaer (M), 81′ Huijsen (R), 90+1′ Gabbia (M)
Based on the stats above he CAN defend too. And he managed to give more successful passes into third final in one match than Krunic did during his whole Milan-stay. =)
Obviously speaking of Adli in case some idiot failed to understand.