AC Milan 3-1 Roma: Five things we learned – dazzling debuts and an enigma | OneFootball

After a very busy few days at the end of the transfer market, AC Milan had to turn their focus to the Coppa Italia where AS Roma awaited them in the quarter final.

Sergio Conceicao opted to only field one January arrival, Kyle Walker, whilst also being forced to leave Rafael Leao on the bench with the winger not fully fit – Alex Jimenez instead started the game which saw Christian Pulisic shifted to the left.

Up front, Tammy Abraham led the attack which seemed like the logical choice, given Gimenez had only joined a couple of days before.

Milan seemingly have their sights on the Coppa Italia, but going into this game they had to prove they were up for the challenge against a Roma side that have also struggled this season.

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That being said, the game was, without a doubt, the best first half under Conceicao with two goals for Abraham at the half-time mark. The Rossoneri dominated the first period, excluding around 10 minutes where Roma tried to get back into the game, barring that though, phenomenal.

In the second half, the Giallorossi managed to scrape a goal through Dovbyk, but the two goal advantage was restored swiftly with Joao Felix picking up his first goal in red in black on his debut night with Santiago Gimenez providing the assist – which has greatly impressed the management and San Siro.

Milan continued to be in control following the third goal and could’ve scored more if we’re being honest, but 3-1 was more than comfortable enough for the team to secure their spot in the semi-finals. Here are five things we learned from the game.

1. Walker a no-brainer?

The bar for the right-back spot has been low in recent years, but seeing Walker in that spot is so refreshing.

In the two games, he has not given the ball away cheaply, compared to Emerson, who for example gave away the ball multiple times per game, is a huge improvement, and this is without considering his general intelligent and composed manner.

We also, again, saw the right-back instructing his teammates at the back, and the defence looked very tidy. Furthermore, against Roma, we saw more of him going forward, even hitting the crossbar after heading the ball following a corner kick.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Bringing Walker to the Rossoneri seems brilliant at this stage and the question now is how long he can stay at this level given his age? A potential deputy could be needed in the summer, even if the Englishman continues to play well.

2. English duo follow Walker’s example

The right-back wasn’t the only Englishman to impress as Abraham and Fikayo Tomori fought for our Man of the Match award. However, we gave it to the former since that brace in the first half pretty much decided the fate of the game.

Abraham was composed with both goals and showcased his aerial strength on the first goal, and whilst the second one was a tad easier, he made a good run and kept his cool to bury the chance.

Santiago Gimenez’s arrival certainly makes things interesting, and now it must be seen if the Roma loanee can continue in this fashion and fight for that starting spot.

At the back, Tomori was also crucial, making a huge block in front of the goal and multiple interceptions further up the pitch balancing the aggression just right. The centre-back has responded in style following the rumours about a potential departure, but now the mission at hand is to find the consistency and do it week in and out.

3. Theo continues the uptrend

Needless to say, it hasn’t be the best season for Theo Hernandez so far, and following Conceicao’s arrival it hadn’t been much different.

The Frenchman played well in the Supercoppa Italiana, but then followed that with some very questionable performances in the league and in Zagreb.

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Against Inter though, he had a big part in the goal and was defensively solid at the back. On Wednesday, he continued the trend against Roma with two assists for Tammy whilst pairing that with a solid defensive display.

Really good from the left-back who has finally started making his signature moves forward again, it’s evident straight away how much of a threat he can be.

4. An enigma

Musah is another player who has had ups and downs this season. Of course, the poor result in Zagreb was a major low as he earned himself a silly red card, but he has responded well following that game and against Roma he did very well.

The American was full of energy and covered a lot of ground as he was constantly on both flanks or going through the middle. He brought a lot of intensity and aggression, and he was at the heart of the second goal, retrieving the ball and finding Theo with a perfect pass.

He also seems to be enjoying Conceicao’s playing style, seeming comfortable playing these one-twos and using his pace to carry the ball forward as well as showing that he can beat his man easily too.

A really intriguing display by the midfielder and if he can play like this and improve further then he has a very bright future ahead given he is still just 22 years old.

Fans want to see responses after events like that in Zagreb and Musah is delivering.

5. Dream debut for Gimenez and Felix

Santiago Gimenez and Joao Felix started on the bench, as expected, but were introduced to the San Siro around the hour mark and the first signs are promising, to say the least.

Felix was comfortable on the ball and it was refreshing to see someone more technical like him behind the striker. He dropped deeper to get the ball and played some good passes in between the lines, whilst also managing to get on the scoresheet after a lovely finish.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

The assister was none other than Gimenez with the Mexican showing promising signs too. In contrast to Felix, he played less with the ball, but he made some good runs in between the lines and got another assist for Jimenez. Unfortunately that was ruled offside, so he’ll have to make with just the single assist for now.

In 30 minutes the pair have showed they are a huge upgrade on the likes of Noah Okafor, Alvaro Morata and Luka Jovic. As a result, Milan fans have several reasons to be excited since the overall performance was brilliant and the new signings are all having immediate impact.