Breaking Down Suso’s Performance for AC Milan vs. Inter Milan

by

Suso had never played in front of that many people before. More than 70,000 crowded into the San Siro, even for the poorest of derbies.

The moment could have been too much. It was his first official start for AC Milan, and it came in a big game against Inter—an introduction to a historic rivalry and a new league all at once.

Instead of crumbling under the pressure, Suso thrived. He was the best player on the team. He was the one doing most of the attacking. He was hungrier than the rest.

“I think he was a great signing,” coach Filippo Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) after the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw. “He’s also a very professional player and you can see he wants to learn.”

The way he played on Sunday, the 21-year-old could have taught some of his teammates a few things.

Suso had two of Milan’s three shots on goal—both coming in the first half. He cut in from the right wing, burning Inter defender Juan Jesus several times, and he found a lot of space against a team that probably did not know what to expect.

That is exactly how he likes to draw up his plays.

“Playing on the right I have the opportunity to score goals or provide assists, depending on the situation,” he told Milannews.it (h/t Football Italia). “Cutting in from the right it’s easy to shoot with the left.”

Every time he took on the ball, he intended to do something with it. There was some sharp interplay with right-back Ignazio Abate as well, with the Italian often overlapping Suso.

Naturally, Milan’s attack went through that side of the pitch. Jeremy Menez had a poor game—he was dispossessed a game-high five times, per WhoScored.com—and Giacomo Bonaventura was not effective in an advanced position. That meant the team’s only meaningful threat came from Suso.

Just look at his numbers, relayed by Squawka:

The second half was not so fruitful. Milan sat back and defended. From the 45th minute to the 85th, they had no shots. Suso was sacrificed for Mattia Destro during that poor stretch, but it was not exactly his fault. He was no longer being used the right way.

It was in the first half that we saw the impact Suso can have on a game. For the final 25 minutes of the first half, Milan ran there counterattacks through Suso, perhaps identifying the space he had down that channel.

Even when he lost the ball, he tracked it down. That is a rare feature in this Milan attack. When Menez lost possession, he just stopped and walked back. The same drive was not there.

You could tell Suso wanted to make a good first impression.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1E1ODfQ
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J