Player Ratings: Lazio 2-2 AC Milan – Moreira fantastic; Estupinan horrendous
AC Milan came back from behind to clinch one point against Lazio at Stadio Olimpico. Diego Moreira was the big hero and below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri.
After the draw against Juventus, Ruben Amorim’s side headed into the game with the aim of getting back to winning ways. However, after a poor first half, they were forced to fight for one point in the second half. They got there in the end, thanks to the new signing Moreira’s lovely brace.
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out how we decide the player ratings. From the scale to what affects the rating, we have compiled everything there.
Short Version
Moreira (8.5 – MOTM): Definition of game changer! Two fantastic shots to find the back of the net and several good contributions in defence too, tracking back to win back the ball. He should have squared one of the chances, but still, he deserves a high rating here. Well done.
Estupinan (2.5): What can I say. Schoolboy error at the back post from him. It’s actually baffling that he didn’t get to the ball first (on Lazio’s first goal) as he was way ahead of Cancellieri. He wasn’t brilliant on the second goal either, so this is an evening to forget for him. Starting spot gone, surely.
Amorim (5.5): The substitutions were fantastic, as always with the Portuguese head coach, but Milan really could have lost everything after just 45 minutes. Something didn’t work tactically, for the second game in a row, so I don’t feel that he should get a 6 here.
Starting XI
Maignan (7): He came up with some big saves in the first half, including a 1v1 on Zaccagni, and he did well to collect a few crosses too. Strong performance in my opinion, and he couldn’t exactly do anything about the goals.
Gila (6.5): Perhaps you could say he should have done more to block Zaccagni’s cross on the first goal, but in general he did really well. We all know just how good he defends, using pace and smart positioning, but the bold (and successful) passing stood out to me tonight.
De Winter (6.5): He managed to build on the strong display against Juventus with another good one, winning a lot of duels and showing (once again) that his positioning is strong. Not sure how much we can fault him for the second goal, if at all, as Noslin did really well to get there with his head first.
Pavlovic (6): Defensively, I don’t have many complaints about how he played tonight, but he could have done a bit more when offering support in attack. There was one good chance in particular that he headed straight at the keeper from close range.
Chukwueze (6): I like what he did on the first goal, playing the pass through to Rabiot, and he caused some issues for Lazio on the flank. That said, the end product could have been better (especially in the first half) and the tracking back was far from brilliant on the first goal.
Modric (5.5): Not that he was a total disaster, but it would be fair to say that he failed to dictate the tempo of the game. Lazio really had Milan pinned down at one point and in the second half, when the veteran had left the pitch, things looked much better.
Rabiot (6): It was a much better second half from him, after a quiet first 45 minutes, and he was involved in both goals (assist for Moreira’s second). However, I think he could have offered more quality on the ball in general, especially in moment where he doubted himself to play the hard pass.
Estupinan (2.5): What can I say. Schoolboy error at the back post from him. It’s actually baffling that he didn’t get to the ball first (on Lazio’s first goal) as he was way ahead of Cancellieri. He wasn’t brilliant on the second goal either, so this is an evening to forget for him. Starting spot gone, surely.
Loftus-Cheek (5): It’s really hard to assess the Englishman. I thought he did well off the bench against Juventus but today, just like against Torino and Venezia, he didn’t offer anything going forward. Maybe it’s time to give up on him.
Cisse (6): He used his body well, shielding the ball in tough situations, and showed off some nice skill too. There was a bit of liveliness in his final minutes on the pitch, but he arguably could have been more creative throughout the game. Still, it’s enough for a pass here.
Ramos (5.5): Decent movement, a few decent flicks, but that’s far from enough. This was evident when Milan tried to create chances in attack as he was never enough of a focal point (with combinations) to open things up.
When his teammates did send good crosses into the box, the movement was never enough. There was one from Hutchinson that he perhaps should have got on the end of.
Substitutes
Pulisic (7): He added loads of energy in attack and did so well on the first goal, getting control of a pretty poor pass from Rabiot in that moment, before sending it to the back post. It was really nice to see him back on the pitch.
Musah (6.5): Like his compatriot, energy was a key component of his display and that helped Milan cement some pressure, winning the ball back quickly and pressuring the opponents. Passing wasn’t always great, but he was definitely above average tonight.
Moreira (8.5 – MOTM): Definition of game changer! Two fantastic shots to find the back of the net and several good contributions in defence too, tracking back to win back the ball. He should have squared one of the chances, but still, he deserves a high rating here. Well done.
Hutchinson (6.5): Very positive debut from the Nottingham Forest loanee. We saw some good actions on the ball, including a nice cross that Ramos perhaps should have converted. Let’s see if he will start next time out.
Camarda (N/A): I didn’t see enough to give him a rating.
The manager
Amorim (5.5): The substitutions were fantastic, as always with the Portuguese head coach, but Milan really could have lost everything after just 45 minutes. Something didn’t work tactically, for the second game in a row, so I don’t feel that he should get a 6 here.
