3 Biggest Positives for AC Milan's 2015/16 Season so Far

It's been an uneven beginning to the 2015/16 season for AC Milan. That's apparent from a quick look at their place in the table. While they've climbed to sixth place—only two points out of the top five—their goal differential is minus-one.

There have certainly been some misadventures along the way. Big-money midfielder Andrea Bertolacci had a horrific start to the season, and just as he began to turn his season around he suffered a leg injury.

Milan head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has also been unable to find a stable back line due to red cards, injuries and ineffectiveness.

But for all the things that might madden a fan, there have been some bright spots to look at as the season approaches its middle third.

What positives do Milanisti have to lean on? Here, we take a close look at three things in particular that have gone right for the Rossoneri.

Giacomo Bonaventura

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Easily Milan's best player so far, Giacomo Bonaventura has proven himself everything Milan thought he would be and more when they bought him last summer.

Whether on the left wing, the trequartista position or as a box-to-box midfielder, Bonaventura has played at a continually high level. He's scored twice and provided five assists. No other player on the team has more than one.

Bonaventura's form has been critical to the successes that Milan has had, and he has proved to be the only real creative outlet on the team. Without him on the field, the team simply cannot link the midfield and the strikers.

The 26-year-old has missed time in two games this year. The first was the second game of the year against Empoli, where he came in as a sub 55 minutes in. The second was Saturday's limp scoreless draw against Atalanta, for which he was suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.

Against Empoli, his introduction turned the tide. Riccardo Saponara had been dictating the game to that point, but Bonaventura triggered a surge in form that culminated in an assist off a corner.

Against Atalanta, Milan simply had nothing to go on. They couldn't keep possession and couldn't produce any dangerous attacks when they did manage to get the ball into the opposing half.

Bonaventura has been one of the bright spots not only for Milan but for the league.

Carlos Bacca

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Purchased from Sevilla this summer, Carlos Bacca gave up the guarantee of Champions League competition to help Milan rebuild. His impact has been momentous.

It often takes time for strikers to adapt to playing in Italy, as Serie A is the most tactically sophisticated league in Europe and the toughest one to score in.

Alvaro Morata, who, like Bacca, came to Serie A from La Liga, told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) called it "a university for strikers" midway through his first season at Juventus last year.

Bacca, 29, must have taken some advanced-placement courses, because he's been skipping classes.

The Colombian hit-man has played in all 12 of Milan's games, starting 10, and has scored six goals. What's amazing about that number is how efficient he's had to be in order to put up those numbers. According to WhoScored.com, he's scored in half his games, despite averaging only 1.6 shots per match.

His accuracy has truly been stunning. Of the 19 total shots he's had, he's found the target with nine of them and missed outright with only five (the other five were blocked). That's an astounding accuracy rate, one that would likely produce record totals if he were able to get more shots off.

That's been Bacca's one problem—he isn't getting the service he needs to menace the goal on a regular basis. If someone can step up and supplement Bonaventura's creative ability, it could see Bacca become a true menace for Serie A's defenses.

Young Players

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Milan hasn't had a good track record when it comes to young players recently. Stephan El Shaarawy was ridden into the ground after his breakout in 2012/13, while Mattia De Sciglio's career arc has taken a nosedive since he burst onto the scene the next year.

Nothing galls Milan's fans more than the mistakes made with Bryan Cristante and Riccardo Saponara.

The 20-year-old Cristante was sold to Benfica last year in a baffling move.

Saponara, who was bought from Empoli in the winter of 2013, could have been the team's future—but he hardly ever saw the field. The 23-year-old is now back at Empoli after Milan foolishly included a buy option in his loan deal last season, per Football Italia. All he's done since is score 10 times and notch seven assists.

Given the team's weakness in the midfield, Cristante and Saponara could have been massive pieces of both the present and the future.

But in spite of their misses, things could be looking up for Milan's youngsters. Alessio Romagnoli, 20, only arrived from Roma this summer but has shown why the club were so keen on acquiring him this summer, despite the hiccup of a red card against Genoa last month.

Beside him in the back line has been Davide Calabria. The 18-year-old impressed in preseason and earned himself a place in the first team.

With Ignazio Abate and and Luca Antonelli dealing with various injuries earlier this season, Calabria has been forced into the side and has produced. He initiated the move that saw Milan score their first goal in his debut against Palermo and has continued that high level of play whenever he's been needed.

Further up the field, M'Baye Niang's season debut showed that he may finally be living up to his potential.

And, of course, no one can forget Gianluigi Donnarumma, the 16-year-old goalkeeper that displaced Diego Lopez in the starting XI three weeks ago. On Saturday, the teenager played a lot like another goalkeeper named Gianluigi to keep Atalanta out.

If Milan doesn't make the mistakes it made with Cristante and Saponara, it could use these bright youngsters to build a talented core that can be together for many years and lead the club into a new era of success—but things have to be handled right.