Ten days ago, Milan beat Fiorentina in the final minutes, coming from behind, thanks in part to Santiago Gimenez’s entrance. His hard work and positioning allowed Rafael Leao to escape the constant attention of opposing central defenders. Against Pisa, the Mexican started from the first minute. Leao benefited again, but the former Feyenoord striker was barely noticeable. On the eve of the match against Atalanta, one question remains: will Gimenez or Nkunku start? The Mexican is still slightly ahead.
Why Santiago Gimenez:
Massimiliano Allegri did not reveal much about his lineup choices in the press conference, partly because the injury list is still long and there is little room for tactical creativity, and partly because he prefers to decide the 50-50 calls at the last moment. The biggest question is in attack, and Allegri spoke about Gimenez:
"Santiago is doing well, he works hard for the team. It’s not that he plays well against Fiorentina and then must start. Then against Pisa he doesn’t have a good game and must be left out. A player is either good or not. Gimenez is a good player, he’s always scored goals, and he will score them here at Milan too."
It was a clear show of faith from Allegri, who continues to protect his striker in the hope he soon breaks his drought. The main benefit of having El Bebote is for Leao, who gains more freedom to move and be dangerous. Acting as a traditional number 9, Gimenez should attract the physical Atalanta central defenders, but that depends largely on his mental state, as relayed via those at Milan News.
Why Christopher Nkunku:
The other option is Christopher Nkunku, a completely different type of player. The Frenchman was also mentioned by Allegri today, who praised him while offering a hint of encouragement:
"He’s improving physically after being out for a while with a finger problem. On Friday he had a great chance to score. We expect a lot from him, he has extraordinary technique. If the same players keep playing together, they’ll get to know each other better, and we might play better."
Expecting more from him means converting the chance he had against Pisa. If Allegri chooses him, Milan would become less predictable for Atalanta’s solid defense, forcing them to step out of position. Still, his understanding with Leao over a longer stretch remains to be tested. There were a few promising moments against Pisa, but they didn’t lead to the desired results.
