It will be up to him again. Santiago Gimenez, the Mexican striker, who in this 2025-26 season with Milan is still goalless in Serie A. The former Feyenoord player has only scored once, in the Coppa Italia round of 32 against Lecce, despite being a starter since Leao’s injury on August 17 against Bari. One goal in his last six starts is not much, yet Max showed no doubts in tactical drills yesterday, the number 9 will once again be Santi. He was favored at the start of the week after Sunday’s win against Napoli, and now, hours before the big match at the Stadium, he is heavily favored.
Movements and numbers
Allegri values Gimenez highly, calling him “an important player for the work he does.” With the shift from the planned 4-3-3 to the 3-5-2 after the late summer transfer window, there are no longer the crosses that wide men like Pulisic and Leao would deliver. More than a penalty-box striker, the system requires a forward who links play, drops deep, holds the ball up, and brings teammates forward, as well as making the right runs in the box. The number 7 does all this well. The problem is his finishing has been off in August and September, otherwise his tally would look different.
The stats paint the picture. In seven matches, Santiago has attempted 20 shots, hit the target 7 times, and scored only once. He touches the ball about 20 times per game, with passing accuracy above 90% in his own half and 77% in the opposition half. He is reliable in holding the ball, even under pressure. Look at the Napoli match, when Milan went down to ten men after Estupinan’s red card, Gimenez gave his side an outlet and pressed their build-up. Leao, who replaced him, struggled more, especially in pressing and ball retention. This is why Allegri is looking beyond goals and will stick with the Mexican tomorrow. He will need to connect with Fofana and Modric, who will look for him to help relieve Juventus pressure. It won’t be easy, whether he faces Gatti or especially Bremer if fit. Both defenders, away from the box, may struggle more against his speed. If Santi sets up Rabiot and Pulisic’s runs or feeds Modric and Fofana for vertical passes, Tudor’s defense could be in trouble.
The Stadium
For the first time in his career, Gimenez will face Juventus. For him, a lifelong Milan fan, this is a special occasion, one he dreamed of many times. He would love to score in this debut, not least because the zero in his Serie A goals column weighs heavily. “After the Napoli game he was frustrated not to score, but he’s sure he will break through in the league soon. By creating chances and playing with the team, he will score and then keep going like always in his career,” his father said recently on a Mexican podcast. For now he follows Allegri’s instructions and remains confident. A goal against Juventus would change a lot, even if after the international break competition will increase, with Leao and Nkunku regaining full fitness.
What's Santiago Gimenez's future like?
In Turin and in the coming weeks, Gimenez is also playing for a big part of his Milan future. Signed last January for €28.5 million plus bonuses, he has so far made 26 appearances and scored 7 goals. His strike rate, one every 204 minutes, is far worse than at Feyenoord, where he scored every 108 minutes, but Serie A is tougher and he knew it would be, though perhaps not this much. Last summer he was close to joining Roma, but he refused and chose to stay at Milanello. He wants to complete his adaptation to Serie A with the club he supports, convinced he can improve his numbers. Yet without progress in the next three months, speculation about a move away from Milan will return. Even though he is happy living in Porta Nuova and enjoys an excellent relationship with his teammates.
Source: Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
