AC Milan are now undefeated in their last 22 Serie A games. This streak continued on Sunday night after the Rossoneri defeated Sampdoria 2-1. What makes this more impressive is that Milan were without three of their most important players – Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ismael Bennacer, and Simon Kjaer.
AC Milan Continue Their Serie A Streak
AC Milan Against Sampdoria Recap
Milan were forced to use their depth in this match – something they haven’t had in recent years. It’s safe to say it paid off, however.
First of all, Kjaer is massive for the team’s defence. Matteo Gabbia has played well throughout the year, but it remained to be seen how well he would play alongside Alessio Romagnoli. Any doubts were put to bed against Sampdoria, as Gabbia put in a man-of-the-match worthy performance.
Sandro Tonali is finally progressing nicely after his move this past summer. He has been thrown into a starting role lately with Bennacer’s injury and has been solid. Ibrahimovic, the best goal scorer on the team, also hasn’t been too sorely missed as Ante Rebic has been setting up his teammates nicely with assists as the lone striker.
Franck Kessie converted a penalty and Samu Castillejo sealed the game with another goal. Kessie is on a very impressive streak this season of putting in stellar performances. He’s a leader on the team, but his performances week-in and week-out make him a borderline star. He proved it once again. Castillejo, on the other hand, often faces criticism for his lacklustre performances. Recently, however, he’s busy proving any doubters wrong. The Spaniard may not always be world-class, but he’s important for the depth of the squad.
Norwegian youngster Jens Petter Hauge put in a nice performance off the bench as well. Hauge is quickly emerging as one of Serie A’s top youth talents. It may be only a matter of time till he takes a starting spot with more of these kinds of outputs on the pitch.
Looking Ahead
Milan face Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday. They have already qualified for the Round of 32, so will likely make use of their youngsters.
After that, they hit a stretch in Serie A. They’ll face Parma, Genoa, Sassuolo, and Lazio – four matches in ten days. Parma and Genoa present their own unique challenges, but they could be victories. Sassuolo has been a surprise in Serie A this season and are no walk-over. That will be a match with top-four implications. Lastly, Lazio are currently seventh but are one of the most talented teams in the league. Milan must come out on top before facing Juventus after the Christmas break.
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