7 October 2023: Coming off of two consecutive punchless draws, what will it take to get the Milan attack into first gear, let alone up to full speed? This week it's a short two-hour trip to Liguria and the Luigi Ferraris to take on Genoa, where the visitors will be desperate for points to prop up their already-fading title hopes . . . .
Genoa (4-4-2): Martinez; Bani, De Winter, Dragusin, Vasquez; Haps, Frendup, Sabelli, Thorsby (Kutlu 88); Malinovskyi, Guomundsson
Milan (4-3-3): Maignan; Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez, Florenzi; Musah (Pulisic 87), Adli, Reijnders; Jovic (Romero 77), Okafor (Pobega 79), Chukwueze (Giroud 79)
Jovic gets his first run in the side, due to the mid-week Champions League fixture at Dortmund, and he wastes no time making a mark. Inside the opening ten minutes, Adli pulls a ball back from the touchline to the top of the crease where the Serbian international is waiting to drive the ball into the netting. Milan own the ball to the tune of 60% in the first half and, despite not being able to score again, they appear to have tilted the field downhill in their favor. The sending off of Sabelli just before the halftime whistle seemed to portend a breakthrough, and this assessment was borne out quickly when action resumed; just three minutes after the break Thiaw strips Dragusin clean in his own end and feeds Reijnders, who takes on Haps one-on-one and makes space enough to power a shot into the corner of the net for Milan's second goal. This seemed to wash the last of the starch out of the Genovese, and Tomori heads home Hernandez's corner kick in the 77th minute while the Frenchman later does the finishing himself by deflecting Florenzi's cross into the goal in stoppage time. While the rossoneri were in full control in terms of possession, and were never put under any real pressure (zero fouls committed!) they didn't create a ton of big chances (Frendup was a constant obstacle in the midfield) - the difference this time around was that they were clinical with the final touch. [scoresheet]
A much needed release of tension before Juventus comes to the San Siro after the international break . . .
Men of the Match:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Theo Hernandez (Milan)
⭐️⭐️ Tijjani Reijnders (Milan)
⭐️ Morten Frendup (Lazio)
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