AC Milan's trip to Udine in order to face Udinese was not very fruitful, unfortunately for the Rossoneri fans who had hoped to see a strong show of force to forget the sour taste of defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League.
Interim manager of Udinese, Gabriele Cioffi, can enjoy a draw as his team came out with a 1-1 draw against the red and black faithful. Stefano Pioli's side were sadly unrecognisable throughout many moments of the match.
At first, Milan entered the field with a little advantage and willingness to try to go forward and create chances. However, the momentum was soon stopped before scoring any goals for Il Diavolo team. Udinese were able to take a chance and score after a defensive error. Beto scored in the 14th minute.
Since that goal, the Rossoneri looked unorganised with no clear attacking ideas or building phase. The transition was not smooth and the midfield made up of Ismael Bennacer and Tiémoué Bakayoko struggled massively. Brahim Diaz, who was the starting playmaker, was also not in his best form as he failed to deliver what was expected from him.
The second half was more of the same for Milan, but there was a slight improvement, albeit not enough. Sandro Tonali and Junior Messias with Kessié entered in the second half. Pioli's boys took more of the ball while Udinese tried to steal it on occasions to make some counter-attacks.
The Dutch defender of Udinese Bram Nuytinck had a good game as he led his teammates at the back in forming a strong wall against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the rest of the Rossoneri players.
AC Milan, however, never gave up and continued to press and play for their chances. Later, Samu Castillejo who entered the field in the second half, put in a good cross which Zlatan Ibrahimovic managed to pick up. The Swede 40-year-old veteran scored with a beautiful acrobatic finish.
A brawl broke out towards the end of the game with Success of Udinese getting a red card for his intervention on Mike Maignan. The Rossoneri, unfortunately, were not able to find another goal as the game ended shortly later with a 1-1 draw.
Stefano Pioli will review and analyse the game with his players and coaching staff to see what needs to be fixed and done in view of future Serie A games. A draw with the taste of defeat for AC Milan sees them collect their 39th point after 17 games.
Below, you will find our match ratings graphic. As usual, let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
