ROMA v AC MILAN: THE DEBRIEFING

Undeniably, AC Milan deservedly clinched victory in their third game of the season as well, despite a few scares at the end, inevitable after playing with ten men for more than 30 minutes of play. The lead, through an Olivier Giroud penalty, was then doubled by Rafa Leão's spectacular finish. A 2-1 win at full-time was only slightly dampened by Spinazzola's late goal in second-half stoppage time for the hosts. Let's take a look and analyse the main factors and key moments of the match at the Olimpico:

FAST STARTS
It was a factor that connected both halves of the game. The Rossoneri approached the game with conviction, raising the tempo and controlling possession from the off. But above all, they struck early: after only 9' through Giroud's penalty, won a few minutes earlier by Loftus-Cheek, and then 3 minutes after the restart through Leão. The away side entered the field of play with clear ideas and capitalised, at least at the start, on the chances created: two kicks in the teeth for the Giallorossi, two goals that impacted heavily on the final result and showed the qualities AC Milan possess.

WORKRATE AND BURSTS
From the wings to the inside channels. The Rossoneri bursts forward worked well all game and were decisive in several moments. A lovely exchange and acceleration from Loftus-Cheek with Giroud surprised the Giallorossi backline, which ended with Olivier being able to step up to the eleven-metre mark and score. As well as the usual runs from Leão and Hernández on the left flank, the understanding between Calabria and Pulisic also kept Roma worried on the opposite side. In the final 15 minutes of the game, Okafor and Chukwueze's bursts forward were vital in allowing the team to stay focused and catch their breath at the end of a tiring game.

CHARACTER IN THE CLOSING STAGES
AC Milan managed an unexpected situation with great character, which could have changed the outcome in the game but instead showed the togetherness and stubbornness within Coach Pioli's group. The sending off of Tomori (59') altered the course of the match, but not the result. Immediately after, Roma added physicality and strengthened the attacking options, while AC Milan reorganised themselves by leaving just one player up top. Yet still, the Rossoneri conceded very few chances to the Giallorossi, letting in just one goal in stoppage time: an exam that was passed with top marks against a side, led by Mourinho, whose main threats are at set-piece situations and winning physical battles. Very few corners were given away (three), but lots of crosses came flying in from Roma (18) that were successfully mopped up by the Rossoneri defence.

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