Milan Player Ratings vs Cremonese: Allegri Falters on San Siro Return | OneFootball

Newly promoted Cremonese pulled off an epic upset on the opening Serie A weekend, beating a new-look Milan 2-1. It was La Cremo’s first-ever victory at San Siro in the top flight.

Milan got off to a better start, dominating possession and creating several half-chances in the opening 20 minutes. None was clear-cut, yet the signs were promising, only for Cremonese to stun San Siro into silence on the stroke of the half-hour mark.

Federico Baschirotto slipped Strahinja Pavlovic’s mark and headed home an inch-perfect cross from Alessio Zerbin to put the visitors 1-0 up. Nothing changed in the game’s dynamics as Milan continued to control possession and probe Cremonese’s defense.

Davide Nicola’s side stood firm at the back and seemed on the verge of entering the break with a slender lead. Yet, Pavlovic redeemed himself in the final minute of the first half. Pervis Estupinan chipped the ball over to the far post, with the Serbian defender hammering home a thumping header.

Pavlovic’s equalizer settled the spirits and set the tone for an even more aggressive start to the second half. However, Emil Audero made two terrific saves to keep Milan at bay, giving Cremonese a lifeline amid a rough patch.

Encouraged by Audero’s heroics between the sticks, Nicola’s men struck again. Federico Bonazzoli scored a stunning overhead kick to restore La Cremo’s lead when it looked like Milan had their visitors on the ropes. Allegri immediately tried to reinvigorate his side with a formational change.

However, substitutes failed to turn Milan’s fortunes around as Cremonese scooped up three precious points on their Serie A return. Without further ado, let’s look at Milan ratings.

Milan (3-5-2)

Mike Maignan – 5/10

Other than one routine save early in the first half, the star goalkeeper had no interventions, as there was nothing he could do for both Cremonese goals.

Fikayo Tomori – 6/10

David Okereke’s pace caused the English defender plenty of problems, but he did well to neutralize the Nigerian. Calm and collected in possession.

Mattia Gabbia – 6/10

Despite Koni De Winter’s arrival, the Italian center-back continues to make a strong case for himself. Dominant in the air and often perfectly positioned, Gabbia kept his end of the deal.

Strahinja Pavlovic – 7/10

After a shaky start and several unforced errors, the towering defender rose into the contest and even netted a confidence-boosting header to atone for an earlier mistake.

Pervis Estupinan – 7/10

If tonight’s game was a sign of things to come, Milan fans may not care much about Theo Hernandez’s departure. In addition to providing an assist, the Colombian looked threatening going forward.

Youssouf Fofana – 6/10

Despite a commendable workload and tireless runs on both ends of the pitch, the Frenchman made little impact, even though he found himself in promising positions more than once.

Luka Modric – 8/10

The maestro’s performance was a sight for sore eyes. Age meant nothing as the former Real Madrid captain showcased a level of class that outshone everyone else on the field.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 6/10

Heavily involved in the build-up play, the tall Englishman enjoyed plenty of possession but had nothing to offer in the front third, often lacking a final ball.

Alexis Saelemaekers – 7/10

Not only did the Belgian winger play a significant part in Milan’s first-half equalizer, but he was also among the liveliest home players, displaying eye-catching skills and great desire.

Christian Pulisic – 5/10

Barring occasional flashes of last season’s form, the USMNT forward rarely threatened Cremonese’s backline and had almost no influence on proceedings.

Santiago Gimenez – 4/10

Seeing his early goal disallowed for offside knocked the Mexican center-forward off his perch as he fluffed his lines several times and lost possession way too often.

Substitute

Alejandro Jimenez – 5/10