Milan Player Ratings vs Udinese: Chukwueze Turns On Hero Mode | OneFootball

Paulo Fonseca’s significant squad overhaul paid dividends as Milan squeaked past Udinese on the Serie A return. Samuel Chukwueze’s first-half strike propelled the Rossoneri to an all-important 1-0 victory at Stadio San Siro.

Milan relinquished a three-game winning league run on the brink of the international break, slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina. Therefore, three points against Udinese on home turf were imperative. Despite the stakes, Fonseca made a bold choice.

Rafael Leao spent the game on the bench, with Noah Okafor and Chukwueze joining Alvaro Morata and Christian Pulisic in attack. The latter set up the Nigerian winger for a decisive 13th-minute strike, continuing his incredible form at the start of the new league season.

Things got awkward for Milan midway through the first half. Tijjani Reijnders made a silly tackle that earned him a straight card. However, his teammates defied the adversity to return to the win column under the most dramatic circumstances.

Udinese had two goals disallowed. Kingsley Ehizibue was fractionally offside on the stroke of the halftime interval. Christian Kabasele’s 97th-minute equalizer didn’t stand either. After reviewing the goal with VAR, referee Daniele Chiffi disallowed it for another marginal offside call.

Without further ado, let’s look at our Milan ratings.

Milan (4-2-3-1)

Mike Maignan – 6

Despite Udinese’s numerical advantage, they only attempted one shot on target apart from the two overruled goals, making the French goalkeeper’s life much easier than expected.

Emerson Royal – 6.5

While he still refuses to make forward passes, the Brazilian right-back has at least improved at the back, faring reasonably well against Jordan Zemura.

Malick Thiaw – 7

Back to the starting XI after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the German defender looked fresh and laser-sharp with his tackles, though he was insecure in possession.

Strahinja Pavlovic – 7.5

Left his heart and soul on the pitch as not even a head injury in the first half couldn’t prevent him from making an immense contribution to Milan’s gutsy win.

Filippo Terracciano – 6

Like his counterpart on the right flank, Theo Hernandez’s deputy focused only on his defensive duties even before Reijnder’s expulsion. But he wasn’t as solid as Emerson.

Tijjani Reijnders – 2

A mistake of this proportion is unacceptable for a player of his caliber.

Youssouf Fofana – 7

He’s becoming vital for Milan. Before Reijnders’ red card, he was pulling all the strings in the midfield. After that, he provided an extra layer of cover to Fonseca’s defenders.

Christian Pulisic – 7

The USMNT forward was again Milan’s driving force in the front third. In addition to picking up another assist, he caused Udinese defenders all sorts of problems.

Samuel Chukwueze – 7.5

A long-awaited goal was a fitting reward for the left-footed winger as he enjoyed a phenomenal game despite several loose touches in the first half.

Noah Okafor – 6

It could’ve been a memorable game for the Swiss forward had he only found composure in dangerous areas.

Alvaro Morata – 6.5

Apart from a thumping mid-range header, the Spaniard didn’t have a clear sight of goal this evening. However, he was omnipresent in the build-up, constantly dropping back to take the ball and bring his other teammates into play.

Substitutes

Yunus Musah – 6