Udinese vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game

Travelling to Udinese’s newly refurbished Stadio Friuli, Milan won consecutive Serie A matches for the first time this season. Other consistencies were also present, but the Rossoneri once again showed defensive deficiencies while triumphing by a 3-2 scoreline.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men could not have made a better start. Within six minutes Mario Balotelli curled home a beautiful free-kick before Giacomo Bonaventura latched on to a lofted diagonal ball from Riccardo Montolivo to calmly place home a second four minutes later.

Just prior to half-time Milan seemed to have wrapped up the game as a contest, with Colombian centre-back Cristian Zapata rising to nod home from a corner against his old team. Three-up at the break and there were few signs of life for the Friulani.

Yet the second half would be filled with opportunities for the home side. Tactical changes brought about by substitutions changed the game completely, with Duvan Zapata emerging at the break as Udinese changed from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3.

He proved to be crucial to the course of the game, teeing up Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu to pull one back on 51 minutes before latching on to a Cyril Thereau cross on 57 minutes to reduce the deficit to just one goal.

Milan held on, though, thwarting Udinese’s onslaught to clinch a valuable win.

Here are our winners and losers from this absorbing match.

Winner: Mario Balotelli

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On his first start back in a Milan shirt, Balotelli was at his defiant best against an Udinese team determined to silence him through fouls. Coming into the side to replace Luiz Adriano in Milan’s front two, he did not disappoint.

He won and then curled home a free-kick to get the ball rolling on six minutes and was a box of tricks from then on, constantly looking for ways to open up the home side’s fragile defence. He was paid specific attention, something his nine fouls against, per WhoScored.com, attests to.

While picking up a soft yellow card, Balotelli managed to remain calm and collected despite the opposition’s lunges.

His relationship with Mihajlovic may have something to do with his new demeanour. The Serbian coach seems to know when and how to push Balotelli, such as when—following a failed trick on the touchline—he gave his striker a friendly kick up the backside, as noted by Gazzetta World.

Aptly, the match finished with Balotelli guarding the ball next to Udinese’s left corner flag in a time-wasting manoeuvre. Two opposition players came tumbling over him in an attempt at provocation, but he simply looked at them before celebrating with his team-mates.

Loser: Keisuke Honda

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Pressure must be growing on Keisuke Honda. Once again the Japanese playmaker put in an underwhelming display to leave question marks over his first-team place.

Playing in a trequartista role behind the two strikers, Honda looked off the pace and some of his passes were wayward. His 6.33 WhoScored.com rating was evidence of a poor performance and, with Bonaventura playing well albeit in a more-withdrawn role, Honda’s position could be under threat.

Bonaventura would likely relish playing further forward. Per Opta Paolo, he has been involved in five of Milan’s last seven Serie A goals, either finishing or assisting. Honda must improve or face losing his starting spot.

Winner: Duvan Zapata

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Thrown on at the break with his side 3-0 down to a resurgent Milan, Zapata’s task was a thankless one.

The powerful Colombian centre-forward was charged with resurrecting Udinese’s hopes, and that he did with an inspired showing.

It was his cross from the left-hand side that led to Udinese’s first goal, and it was he who was on the end of Thereau’s cross to tap home a second. Within 12 minutes of the restart, Zapata’s introduction had dramatically changed the game.

Ultimately, he was unable to alter the end result, but Zapata showed what a handful he can be when utilised correctly. In just 45 minutes, he did enough for WhoScored to rate him as the Zebrette’s third-best player.

Loser: Udinese's Defence

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After the match, Udinese coach Stefano Colantuono claimed the defeat was a product of “some costly errors”, per Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). He was absolutely correct.

His initial three-man defence constantly fouled in dangerous areas, such as in the build-up to Milan’s opening goal, and were often cut open by simple—albeit well-executed—balls, such as Riccardo Montolivo’s pass for Milan’s second.

The third goal, a simple header from a corner, merely rubbed salt in fresh, deep defensive wounds.

This was Udinese’s fourth consecutive league defeat and, if they are to survive in Serie A, they will have to improve defensively.