AC Milan vs. Genoa: Winners and Losers from Serie a Game
AC Milan extended their unbeaten streak to seven games on Sunday morning, beating relegation-threatened Genoa 2-1 at San Siro thanks to goals from Carlos Bacca and Keisuke Honda.
The Rossoneri snapped a dubious streak with the victory. Previously, they had lost each of their last three fixtures against the Genovese club.
Milan made a fine start to the match, taking the lead five minutes in, thanks to a close-range Bacca finish following a cross from the right by Honda.
They gradually asserted themselves as the game wore on but failed to add to their lead until after the hour mark, when Honda got on the scoresheet with an accurate shot from distance.
It looked like smooth sailing for Milan from there on out, but they made it hard for themselves by conceding a goal in injury time, with former player Alessio Cerci bundling home a rebound after a Gianluigi Donnarumma save.
Despite a minor late scare from a corner kick, Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side held out to claim the three points.
Here are Bleacher Report’s winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Keisuke Honda (Milan)
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Going into 2016, Keisuke Honda’s future with Milan looked unclear. He started just four games in the first half of this season and gave an interview to Kyodo News (h/t Football Italia) in which he disparaged the club:
"Allegri wanted me, but since then the situation has become even uglier. I arrived at Milan in the hope of being able to give my contribution to change things, but since then the club has continued to keep changing coach with the result that the team has been in perennial trouble for two and a half years.
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However the Japanese playmaker’s fortunes have changed in recent months. He has started each of the Rossoneri’s last 10 league fixtures, setting up three goals in the process. To seal his return to form, he scored a wonderful, curled strike from long range against Genoa.
That was Honda’s first goal since October 2014. He will be hoping to add to that tally between now and the end of the season in order to cement his place in Mihajlovic’s starting lineup.
Loser: Suso (Genoa)
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Suso joined Genoa on loan from Milan in January, but upon his first return to San Siro since departing the club, he was unable to influence proceedings in any meaningful way.
The Spanish technician played as Genoa’s right-sided inside forward but could not combine well with his team-mates before being substituted at half-time. He earned a poor rating of 6.07 from WhoScored.com.
For all his quality on the ball, Suso is running out of opportunities to prove himself at the top level.
Winner: Carlos Bacca (Milan)
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Carlos Bacca has scored in 12 Serie A games for Milan. Interestingly, on 10 of those occasions, he scored with his first on-target shot of the game, per Opta Paolo.
That statistic demonstrates the Colombian’s sharp mind and clinical touch. He takes no time at all to settle into the rhythm of a game, and when he gets a chance, he takes it with ruthless efficacy.
His strike against Genoa took him to 13 for the season, and his goals will prove crucial as Milan look to challenge for a Champions League place.
Loser: Tim Matavz (Genoa)
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Genoa centre-forward Tim Matavz rarely gave the ball away against Milan. But then he never really had it in the first place.
The tall Slovenian was supposed to spearhead the Grifone’s attack, but he barely got a sniff. This was due to the assertive marking of Milan’s centre-back pairing of Alex and Alessio Romagnoli, though it also had a lot to do with the disjointed possession play of Matavz and his team-mates.
Because of performances scuh as this one, he will quickly be removed from the lineup once Leonardo Pavoletti returns from injury.
Winner: Jeremy Menez (Milan)
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After 77 minutes of this match, Jeremy Menez emerged from the substitutes' bench to huge cheers from the Milanisti. The Frenchman’s appearance marked his first outing in league action this season after a long spell on the treatment table with hip problems.
He wasn’t able to influence the game much in the short time he had, but the appearance will mean a lot to him considering the welcome he was given by the home fans.
After the game, Mihajlovic told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia): “When [Mario] Balotelli and Jeremy Menez are fit we will have more attacking options and it’ll be more difficult for the opposition to close us down.”
Evidently, despite his injuries, Menez has a future at Milan.
