These kinds of Milan performances had been missed — games where the team simply wins. Without risks, playing well and with an overall sense of calm.
First Half: Pulisic lights up the Dacia Arena
The match is immediately rocked by a sudden and decisive moment: Pulisic, after an illuminating through ball from Modric, finds himself one-on-one with Okoye and slots home the opening goal for Milan. The visitors try to manage the lead, looking to exploit spaces for through balls, just as they did for the goal. The hosts only manage to threaten through a long-range effort by Kamara, aided by a misplaced pass from Jashari.
As the half progresses, Udinese raises the tempo, attempting to break through without success, with long-range shots that fail to trouble Maignan. Milan continues to build play through a tight passing network and well-timed runs. The clearest chance after the goal is wasted by Bartesaghi and Pulisic, who get in each other’s way at the crucial moment. The Italian full-back finds himself in the box frequently in the first half, but fails to make his mark on the game, more often than not sending his attempts over the bar.
Second Half: Hutchinson seals the deal
The second half begins with the hosts looking more determined and energetic, picking up the pace with renewed long-range efforts. But it is only a brief spell. Milan, after a few minutes of readjustment, gets back to building attacks through runs and counter-pressing.
Chances start coming again, but Pulisic is denied twice by Okoye. However, midway through the second half, Hutchinson pounces on a poor rebound from the Udinese goalkeeper and fires home for 2-0. Unlike in other recent matches, Milan appears not to switch off, staying focused without over-relaxing.
Gonzalo Ramos hits the crossbar, wasting his first real chance of the game. As the clock winds down, Udinese seems unable to raise the tempo, limiting themselves to one chance with Davis who, from a free-kick situation, lays the ball straight to Maignan. The game effectively ends there, despite a few bright moments from substitute Cisse.
Conclusions
Udinese fell victim to a dreadful run of form, while Milan deserves credit for not switching off at any point during the match. After everything we’ve seen recently, a bit of calm was well overdue.
