Malick Thiaw was one of Milan's pillars at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium against Real Madrid. He scored the first goal thanks to a corner delivered by Christian Pulisic. His match marked his first goal in Rossoneri colours and it was also his 60th appearance.
His last goal was back in the German second division with Schalke 04 in March 2022. Malick delivered a simply flawless performance against the world’s best forward, Kylian Mbappé. The stats speak for themselves: 6 clearances, 2 ground duels won out of 2 attempts, and 3 out of 3 aerial duels won.
"Head down and keep pushing" has been Thiaw’s motto since the start of this season. Initially, he was behind Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, and Matteo Gabbia in the pecking order.
How did Malick Thiaw win over Fonseca?
Through professionalism and daily hard work, which have also led to significant technical improvements. It’s no coincidence that the Portuguese coach has highlighted how Thiaw enhances build-up play from the back: against Real Madrid, he registered an 87% passing accuracy.
Patience is the ability to wait, to let things happen at the right time. Malick was smart not to be overwhelmed by the high expectations that the club and fans always had for him.
From the struggles, especially late last season, to securing a starting role, the progress has been swift. In fact, his journey has brought about a well-timed overall improvement.
With Pioli confirmed on the bench, today we’d likely be discussing Thiaw in a Newcastle shirt, as the club made a serious attempt to sign him last summer before stepping back at the German defender’s own request.
Malick wanted to take on a new challenge with Paulo Fonseca, whose playing style better suited his technical and physical characteristics. He was right in every way, with his reward arriving at the perfect time: a dream night (with a goal) in the stadium of the reigning European champions.
Source: Calciomercato.com.
