Milan Player Ratings vs Verona: Santiago Strikes Again | OneFootball

Milan won back-to-back Serie A matches for the first time since mid-September by beating Hellas Verona 1-0 at home. A game packed with wasted chances saw Sergio Conceicao’s side produce a much-needed comeback after a midweek fiasco in Rotterdam.

Following a dismal 1-0 Champions League defeat to Feyenoord, Milan return to the San Siro with the imperative of winning. The Rossoneri dominated the first half in terms of possession and created chances. However, they couldn’t turn the ball home.

After a catalog of misses throughout the opening 70 minutes, Milan finally found a breakthrough through winter signing Santiago Gimenez. Rafael Leao did most of the heavy lifting to serve the Mexican on a platter. Gimenez headed the ball into an empty net to break the deadlock.

Still, Milan had to survive a late scare as Mike Maignan thwarted Verona’s last-ditch attempt to rescue a point, saving a long-range shot. Without further ado, let’s look at our player ratings.

Milan (4-2-3-1)

Mike Maignan – 7

His first save of the game didn’t brim with confidence, but the French goalkeeper stood his ground to keep his second consecutive Serie A clean sheet.

Theo Hernandez – 6.5

It wasn’t a vintage Theo performance, but the star left-back fared far better than at De Kuip a few days ago, reminding Milan fans of his attacking capabilities.

Malick Thiaw – 6

His early blunder could’ve cost Milan dearly, but he got away with another mistimed tackle. However, he rose into the contest as the game progressed.

Matteo Gabbia – 7

The Italian center-back didn’t put his foot wrong tonight, dominating his opponents in the air while taking no risks in possession.

Kyle Walker – 7

His defensive prowess is off the charts! He had Verona attackers in his back pocket all game, demonstrating unparalleled quality.

Youssouf Fofana – 6

While his defensive contribution didn’t go unnoticed, he still had several lackluster attacking forays. His passes weren’t always clean.

Tijjani Reijnders – 6.5

Unlike his teammate in the double pivot, the Dutch midfielder enjoyed a superb game and even came close to finding the opener with a long-range screamer.

Yunus Musah – 6.5

Swooped in for Christian Pulisic, the USMNT utility man should’ve put Milan in front on the stroke of halftime. But he skyed the ball from a promising position. Nearly atoned with a thunderous effort in the second half.

Joao Felix – 7

The Portuguese forward is seamlessly adapting to life at Milan! His technical qualities and vision kept Verona’s backline on red alert all match.

Riccardo Sottil – 6

Not a dream debut for the Fiorentina loanee as he couldn’t make the difference on the left wing despite being given an unlikely chance to start ahead of Leao.

Santiago Gimenez – 7

It’s two from two for the Mexican goal-getter in Serie A! It was a simple tap-in but took nothing away from his excellent positioning in the box and his well-documented poacher’s instinct.

Substitutes

Rafael Leao – 7

Alejandro Jimenez – 6.5

Christian Pulisic – 6