Real Madrid vs. AC Milan: The Rossoneri Show Improvements in Friendly
AC Milan stayed with Real Madrid until the end. Only a protracted shootout decided their final game in the International Champions Cup on Thursday night in Shanghai, with Madrid winning 10-9 on penalties.
But the result was academic. Milan showed a much more resolute side to their game. They look much better in this pre-season tour than they did last year under former coach Filippo Inzaghi, and that can only inspire fans ahead of the upcoming season.
Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has his players putting in hard shifts, and the work is starting to pay dividends. Milan defended well, struck hard on the counterattack and could have beaten last year’s Champions League winners.
It appears Milan finally have some bite back. There is an edge to their game. They moved quickly up the field, with Jose Mauri and Keisuke Honda picking up the ball and pushing the play forward. Both players found channels, and Honda in particular tracked back to win possession.
The defence also did a fine job keeping Madrid at bay. Los Blancos had 14 shots throughout the match, but only three went on target, per ESPN FC, and that is a testament to Milan’s no-nonsense defending.
As soon as Madrid entered Milan’s penalty area, the defenders rushed to cut down space and eliminate the threat. Philippe Mexes and Gabriel Paletta, both of whom came on as substitutes in the second half, put their bodies in the way and cleared the ball. It was refreshing to see the same defensive unit that was so scatter-brained last year demonstrating some cool-headedness against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Cristian Zapata also threw around his weight. Zapata did not allow Jese to streak down the left channel and into the box in the 65th minute, running back and blocking him out completely. It was a clean, strong play, shoulder on shoulder.
When Madrid did break through, Diego Lopez was there. The Spaniard was able to palm away a header from Ronaldo and gather any other odd chance.
Even 16-year-old Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made some memories. He came in just before the penalty shootout, and he later stopped a spot-kick from Toni Kroos to prolong the game for Milan.
Donnarumma missed his own penalty—the shootout did go to the goalkeepers—but he had already done enough to make an impression on the match.
In all, this Milan team just looks more fit and confident. Granted, it’s still the pre-season, and Milan also beat Madrid in a similar friendly in Dubai last December, but the signs are encouraging. The Rossoneri are not just going through the motions; they are actually linking up passes and working for each other already.
“We competed on level terms with Real Madrid and dominated the match for large spells,” coach Mihajlovic told the press afterward.
“We must always remain an organised team and one that plays to win. The performance was excellent.”
That plan is definitely growing, and Carlos Bacca is going to be a big part of it. The 28-year-old Colombian had a chance to win the match close to the end of regular time, joining a quick break and beating two defenders before slamming a shot against Madrid goalkeeper Casilla. The product wasn’t there—Bacca also missed a penalty later in the shootout—but the movement was phenomenal.
He is not just a static penalty-box threat, even though he scores most of his goals inside the 18-yard box; Bacca is a mobile attacker who can create space for himself. He has a real presence. He didn’t score against Madrid, but he was more threatening than Ronaldo or Bale on the night.
It is going to be a balancing act between Bacca and Luiz Adriano. The two shared the field for a brief time in this game, and Adriano was left out in most moments. Playing two like-minded strikers is going to need some creative manoeuvring, but it was actually Adriano who played in Bacca for that chance. There is hope here.
So Milan leave China with a win over Inter and a narrow shootout loss to Madrid. The Chinese fans chanted and filled the stadiums with red and black. The ICC, in other words, has been a success.
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