The match against Virtus Entella was a friendly organized to give playing time to several players returning from injury, and it served that purpose. Pulisic, Estupinan, and especially Jashari played the full ninety minutes at the Felice Chinetti Stadium in Solbiate Arno. Milanello is currently hosting Rino Gattuso's national team, so the Rossoneri moved to the Milan Futuro stadium.
Max Allegri's lineup, necessarily patched together due to the absence of many international players, started strong and scored in the ninth minute through Pulisic after a clear period of dominance. After the number 11’s goal, the team slowed down and allowed Entella too much freedom, and in the 34th minute they equalized after a lapse from Fofana: Russo recovered the ball and set up Ankeye in the box, who finished precisely past Terracciano. In the second half, Milan struggled to find rhythm but scored again after a nice counter led by Traorè and Pulisic, with the young winger providing an excellent assist for Borsani in the box.
Entella responded quickly, exploiting a poor clearance by Jashari to rush into the box with Boccadamo, who fired under the crossbar from a good position. The afternoon ended with Debenedetti’s 3-2 goal, well served by Portanova. Milan’s defense was weak, unbalanced, and slow to recover. On the positive side, players returning from injury gained minutes, and the match caused no physical issues for any participants.
The Rossoneri played at a low tempo, offering few notable moments. Only a few players stood out: Magrassi with an assist and a long-range shot, Traorè with good dribbling in dangerous areas, Pulisic with a goal, and Jashari with a few accurate long passes. Fofana, Loftus-Cheek (substituted at 45 minutes as planned), and Estupinan underperformed, appearing too light and inattentive, allowing opponents to create danger. Among the youngsters, right-back Cappelletti impressed, while Maxi Ibrahimovic, Zlatan’s son, struggled to make an impact.
Missing besides the internationals were Tomori, dealing with knee issues, and Rabiot, finishing recovery from a calf problem suffered during the last international break. Allegri hopes to have both available for the derby, with next week of training set to be decisive, as relayed via Milan News.
