AC MILAN v SASSUOLO: THE DEBRIEFING

AC Milan waved goodbye to 2023 with a narrow victory over Sassuolo. It was a pragmatic, vital win, that gives everyone optimism for the forthcoming fixtures. Let's take a look and analyse what factors decided matchday 18 in Serie A at San Siro.

CHRIS-FACTOR
Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal that sealed the win, taking him to six for the season in Serie A (with four assists). The most eye-catching fact is that out of these six goals, four came when the result was 0-0: it happened at San Siro against Turin, Lazio and Sassuolo, and away to Genoa. Everything can be summed up in one word: decisive. It was also the case in the Champions League in Newcastle, grabbing the equalizer that sparked off the comeback to gave us new hope in Europe. 2023 ends under his star, because great champions always shine when the team needs them most.

SCORING FIRST AND FOREMOST
In this last match of 2023, AC Milan called for a win, and it arrived. The performance will not go down as one of the best of season, but it produced three well-deserved points for the table. In what is a tricky period, especially in defence, the team was pragmatic, scored at a good time and hardly ever had to dig deep. It is undoubtedly a positive note for a group that has had to sacrifice itself, adapt and give their best in this tricky situation. The positive home run extends to four consecutive Serie A victories, with eight goals scored and one conceded. The year ends with a smile.

MIDFIELD FOR ALL SEASONS
The Bennacer that we all know was back, Reijnders always knows which card from the pack to pick, Loftus-Cheek showed some more interesting bursts forward from repertoire, Adli confirmed his presence, Musah is on his way back to fitness and San Siro saw young Kevin Zeroli make his Serie A debut. The Rossoneri midfield controlled possession and the game in large parts, managed the pace of it, and had six attempts on goal. The imminent involvement of an ever-improving Bennacer in the African Cup of Nations will leave the Rossoneri without the Algerian for a while, but everyone staked their claim and this is a positive aspect ahead of unpcoming fixtures. 

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