Giacomo Bonaventura and Carlos Bacca's Partnership Gives AC Milan Hope for 2016

AC Milan recorded their first and only league win of December on Sunday evening, coming from behind to beat Frosinone 4-2. It was a match that showed plenty of evidence that Sinisa Mihajlovic’s Rossoneri revolution is a long way from being complete.

However, amid the morass of underwhelming performances and enraging inconsistency that has punctuated the Serbian coach’s first six months in charge, one particular element of the team has emerged as a symbol of hope. That element is made up of Giacomo Bonaventura and Carlos Bacca.

The tale of the Italian trequartista and the Colombian poacher is one some may have seen coming.

Bonaventura was one of the few bright spots in a moribund 2014-15 season for Milan, his nimble footwork and creative edge suggesting bigger things lay ahead. Meanwhile, Bacca joined the club in the summer with the task of adding a clinical touch to Milan’s attacking play. The two of them were destined to combine.

The combination between the pairing has lived up to expectations. Within the three different systems Milan have used so far this season, Bonaventura has found himself either directly behind Bacca or just to his left. As such, they have often been in close proximity.

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This has served Milan well. On three occasions this season—the latest of which came against Frosinone on Sunday—Bonaventura has set up a Bacca goal. According to WhoScored.com, this particular combination is one of the most productive in Serie A.

The effectiveness of the pairing is a result of their complementary strengths. Bonaventura is often deployed on the left but, as a right-footer, likes to cut inside in an attempt to penetrate the opposition’s defensive line either through dribbles or passes.

His inward driving runs have a tendency to commit defenders, freeing up space for Bacca, who enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last man, using his instinct and nose for goal to exploit openings and finish any chances that fall his way.

The first goal the two created together came against Palermo on 19 September. Bonaventura ran to get on the end of a Davide Calabria cross from the right. Unable to get a shot off, he instead controlled the ball before rolling it back to Bacca, who shot high into the roof of the net with minimal backlift.

Their second came away to Lazio in November in what was one of Milan’s best displays of the season. Capitalising on a misplaced pass, Bonaventura came inside and spotted Bacca powering on between the home team’s centre-backs. With one beautifully weighted pass, Bonaventura split Lazio’s defence and played Bacca through to round the 'keeper and finish.

In their latest collaboration on Sunday evening, Bonaventura showed immense bravery to put his foot in as Frosinone’s Nicola Leali rushed out to punch. Despite the threat of an imminent clattering, the Italy international managed to poke the ball in the direction of Bacca, who gratefully thrashed home into an empty net.

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These three instances are the moments in which the combination between Bonaventura and Bacca has been most evident, though their contributions have been vital in more holistic ways.

With eight league goals, Bacca is by far Milan’s top scorer this season. With four goals of his own, good enough for second on Milan's scoring chart, to accompany six assists, Bonaventura has been one of Serie A’s most influential midfielders, something Squawka's performance ratings confirm.

And during a period in which Milan’s other attacking options have been out injured or underperforming, Bacca and Bonaventura’s consistent showings—both individually and combined—could not have been timelier.

Jeremy Menez and Mario Balotelli will return from injury in the new year after long spells on the sidelines. Meanwhile, a rotating cast of Alessio Cerci, Keisuke Honda, M’Baye Niang and Luiz Adriano has failed to offer reliability in any of Milan’s multiple systems.

During dark times, Bonaventura and Bacca have produced, and their combination will provide a glimmer of hope for Milanisti to cling to as 2016 approaches.