Rebic enters the comfort zone: goals and assists to push Milan into the second leg

Give him the second round and he’ll rub his hands with a smirk. As if to say “come on, now we have fun”. That’s what Ante Rebic is, when the twentieth day arrives it starts to get serious. As if the end of summer and the beginning of autumn darken him. I wonder why. Now the Croatian is ready to rejoin the ranks after the muscle tear that kept him out from November 20 to today. Nine missed matches between the league and the Champions League, not to mention the ankle problem at the end of October. Another 5 games seen between home and grandstand, alone, with the eyes of the tiger of those who hate being outside. Now his months are coming.

Driver

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Just look at his path over the past two years. Season 2019-20, the first in the Rossoneri. No goals and no assists in the league with Giampaolo and Pioli, 11 goals and 3 winning passes from the nineteenth matchday onwards, 5 rings after the lockdown to drag Milan to Europe. A little external and a little first tip, Rebic does what Pioli asks. Always. On the wing it performs better, they both know it. Give him one between Ibra and Giroud, and Ante will use the spaces. As he did at Eintracht: “I attacked the depth, Jovic scored and Haller won the aerial duels”. In Germany, however, the performance was well divided between the round trip. Not at Milan.

Okay again

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Same fate last season. First 4 months like this, 7 assists and a goal between league and cup, but also two injuries and Covid (11 missed matches). From January onwards the usual metamorphosis: ten goals. Three in the 7-0 trimmed to Turin, one to Juve at Allianz and three decisive against Bologna, Rome and Genoa. Always there, a little high winger and a little bit pointed, called to replace Ibra more than once. This year’s performance reflects what we’ve seen in the last two: 11 games, two goals, two assists and two injuries so far. Rebic hasn’t played in the 1 ‘since the match against Verona on 16 October, when he was substituted after half an hour due to an ankle injury. Now he, Leao and Calabria are in the recovery phase, a Christmas present in view of Milan-Rome on 6 January. Rebic wants to be there, especially because the Giallorossi are doing well: 2 goals in 3 games. Both in the second round. This is not new.