'Playing for Milan is very, very difficult' - Santiago Giménez ends goal drought against Venezia, receives support from Fabio Capello

Mexican striker Santiago Giménez found the back of the net in the final minutes against Venezia on Sunday, putting an end to an eight-match goal drought that had lasted since Feb. 18. U.S. international Christian Pulisic opened the scoring for Milan in the 2-0 win, marking his 50th goal with the club.

Despite goals from the two North Americans, AC Milan remains far from European qualification spots, currently sitting ninth in the Serie A standings.

Giménez’s time in Italy has been far from smooth. Since joining Milan, he has scored four goals in 15 appearances - a modest return for a forward of his potential. However, Milan legend Fabio Capello has come to his defense, emphasizing the challenges of performing in a struggling Milan side.

“You can't say he's playing badly, that he's not scoring goals - you can't say that. It's possible that he doesn't feel the same as he did with the Dutch team before, but he hasn't performed poorly,” said Capello, the former manager who remains one of the most iconic figures in Milan history.

During his time at the helm, Capello led the Rossoneri to four Serie A titles, a Champions League crown, a UEFA Super Cup, and three Italian Super Cups.

Capello criticized what he sees as unfair treatment toward Giménez from fans and pundits, urging patience as the 23-year-old adapts to his new surroundings.

“Right now, playing for Milan is very, very difficult. That’s why I think we need to wait. Giménez is a good player - he did important things with the Dutch team (Feyenoord). I believe he has quality, but at the moment, it’s hard for any player in this Milan side that doesn’t know what to do... Right now, there are problems with the system, the style of play, and positioning,” Capello said in an interview with mediotiempo.

The former England and Real Madrid manager also expressed confidence that Giménez will regain his form for Milan, once the team finds its rhythm and the forward regains his confidence in front of goal.

"He knows he's not at his best right now, and he told me right after the match that he didn’t have a good performance, but the goal was important," Milan's manager said after the match. "It’s also important to highlight the positives and not just focus on the negatives. Giménez needs to analyze what needs to be done and how he can help the team with or without the ball. That way, the goals will come naturally, because he’s a good player and the team knows his qualities - we trust him and all the other players."

The team that includes both Giménez and Pulisic will visit Genoa next Monday for Matchday 35 of Serie A. Qualifying for European competitions looks complicated, as they sit in ninth place in the standings with 54 points.