Mike Maignan MVP? Rafael Leao finally decisive? Morata broke his goal drought? Yes, all of this is certainly true, but there’s another player who, on that magical night against Real Madrid, truly stole the show for Milan and captivated the entire Santiago Bernabeu.
It’s Tijjani Reijnders, whose performance went far beyond his crucial 3-1 goal that effectively sealed the game, and who, now more than ever, is poised to attract market attention.
Reijnders, a complete midfielder
The Dutchman crafted football, scored a historic goal, and never lost the ball—a true top player. But is it really that simple? Analyzing the game’s heatmap and touchmap, it’s clear that the former AZ Alkmaar player delivered a complete midfielder’s performance, effectively covering the entire central area of the field.
There’s more to it. Beyond his defensive contributions (two duels won, one tackle, one clearance, and one foul suffered), he emerged as a true playmaker. With 98% pass accuracy, missing only 1 pass out of 53 (including 7 long, 33 medium, and just 13 short passes), Reijnders distributed the ball with precision across his teammates, averaging nearly equal passes to each player (5 on average), with a slight preference for Rafael Leao, who was on fire last night (11 passes to him).
Reijnders continues to deliver top performances
As the season progresses, more clubs are taking notice of his performances. In Spain, there are rumours that he could be the solution Real Madrid has been seeking to replace Kroos, who retired. His performance at the Bernabeu only fueled these speculations. And Milan? A contract renewal is already on the table.
Source: Calciomercato.com
