It is fair to say that Davide Bartesaghi has been one of the shining lights for Milan in the last few weeks. The left-back scored vital goals against Sassuolo and has ousted competition from Pervis Estupinan for a while now. But against the Sardinians, he truly showcased what value he offers to the side.
The 20-year-old started at centre-back, which is where he played for a bit during his time with the Primavera side. But doing the same at senior level was going to be a different kettle of fish.
It
wasn’t an easy setup to start in too. Max Allegri’s side were using a flexible system on Friday evening, with Bartesaghi often having to operate in a fairly wide area and later, play much more centrally than he ideally wants to. Many times, Milan were in a back four instead of Allegri’s preferred back three, making sure that Bartesaghi partnered Koni de Winter for quite a while.
Instead of backing away from the challenge, Bartesaghi rose to the occasion.
He won four ground duels, successfully making two tackles in the tie. While playing at centre-back, he played as many as 13 passes into the final third – the most out of any player on the pitch. He showed that when Milan play against a deeper block, Allegri can reliably use the Italian as a centre-back.
This would help the Rossoneri progress the ball better, hold it and make the right line-breaking passes in the forward areas. They also overloaded on the left well, with Bartesaghi’s presence helping Estupinan settle into the game.
The youngster also made in-roads into the advanced areas, playing a total of four crosses.
Bartesaghi provides hope for deeper opposition
The approach from Allegri was fresh as Milan looked quite flexible in build-up, as players constantly changed positions and this is what Milan fans would want to see more often.
Having Bartesaghi operate in a dual role adds value to a system like that. Milan have won a lot of their big games this season but have faced occasional struggles against sides who stay deeper and invite them.
This was evident against Parma and Pisa and even against Sassuolo. Bartesaghi operated in a regular wing-back role in those games, bombing up and down. Against the biger sides, he has added a lot of verve to the attack, bringing about rightful comparisons with Theo Hernandez.
But the talent offers a solution to the Rossoneri that can easily work out. He has played at centre-back for the Primavera side – as previously pointed out and that makes everything a touch better.
