Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/GettyImagesGiampaolo Pazzini's brace will leave Milan supporters wanting more

In a dominant and controlled 2-1 win over Bologna at San Siro Sunday afternoon, Milan secured all three points thanks to a brace from Giampaolo Pazzini. Having shown us the good, the bad and the goals, it's difficult to decide whether or not to be happy with Pazzo.

- Video: AC Milan 2-1 Bologna (UK and Ireland)
- Serie A: Milan up to sixth, Napoli held

Having been guilty of missing some fairly clear-cut chances previously and in the first half against Bologna, Pazzini opened the scoring with a fortuitous goal after the break. However, while he would have owed a debt of gratitude for the first, his second was nothing short of brilliant.

After a wonderful first touch, and a deft flick over the defender, Pazzo buried the ball in the back of the net to score what turned out to be the winning goal after Philippe Mexes’ late own goal. That is the type of play Pazzo is capable of, and we’ve seen him score equally great goals in the past at both Sampdoria and Inter.

However, to silence critics he must start producing that on a consistent basis and become more clinical. Pazzini has 11 goals this season, five against Bologna and it would be no surprise if he was wishing he could play Stefano Pioli's men every weekend.

Elsewhere, there were standout performances from both Mbaye Niang and Kevin Constant. Both were dangerous going forward, combining it well with real conviction when tracking back and trying to win back possession. The same can also be said of Stephan El Shaarawy - despite the goals drying up, no one can question his commitment as he ran tirelessly all afternoon.

In addition, Cristian Zapata continues to quietly yet effectively go about his job, and is now hopefully beginning to play his way into a permanent slot in the heart of the defence.

However, it was arguably Niang who produced the performance of the game, after being a constant threat down the right wing. There is plenty for the 18-year-old to work on, including decision-making, but he is showing why there is so much excitement surrounding him.

Despite the positives, there are still weaknesses. At the centre of my frustration is Mathieu Flamini. While the Frenchman can 'do a job' in the midfield, there are better options available. Confusingly, in a period where the club are looking to focus on youth, why not play Bryan Cristante? You can give him all the summer preseason friendlies available, but there’s no greater test than starting in the league.

Said manager Massimiliano Allegri after the game: "We can only grow by playing and learning. We’ve got to improve, as we cannot dominate a match to this degree only to risk compromising it with moments of naivety. Many clubs have been left out of the Champions League in recent years, so it could be our turn, but we are targeting more long-term prospects. Our objective is to end the season on an upward swing."

The Rossoneri are within nine points of third place after Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina all dropped points, and face Atalanta next weekend. A win in Bergamo would continue to put the pressure on those above as the gap closes. Perhaps with a little more confidence after this performance, Pazzini's goals might also become more vital as the season goes on.

Who was your man of the match against Bologna? Has Pazzini got what it takes to lead this side?

For all the latest Milan and Serie A news, you can follow me on Twitter @italiafooty

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email