Mario Gila’s first weeks at Milan have given the season an early defensive reference point. Signed for €30 million, the former Real Madrid and Lazio centre-back has settled quickly under Ruben Amorim, offering the kind of reliability that has caught the attention not only of the Rossoneri supporters but also of the coach and owner Gerry Cardinale.
The coach and the club
Gila remained at Milanello during the international break with the players not called up by their countries, preparing for an October that could shape both his Milan role and his Spain ambitions. The month ends with the derby on Halloween, 31 October, before Luis de la Fuente names his squad for Spain’s final two Nations League group fixtures.
The defender narrowly missed out on a first senior Spain call-up during the September-October window. De la Fuente knows him well from the Spain Under-21 side, and Gila hopes a demanding run of nine official Milan matches across the next 29 days can finally bring him into the senior group.
Amorim has already made him central to Milan’s plans. Gila started each of the opening five Serie A rounds, and Milan conceded only twice while he was on the pitch, recording two clean sheets. The two goals came after he had left late in matches because of physical issues, including Federico Gatti’s equaliser that denied Milan victory away to Juventus in Turin.
His importance was also apparent in Europe. Gila was not selected from the start for the Europa League meeting with Benfica, and Milan looked notably less secure. He is expected to return to the side at Sassuolo, where Milan have gone three visits without a win in Reggio Emilia. In last season’s fixture there, with Massimiliano Allegri in charge, Fikayo Tomori was sent off and the dismissal had a major influence on the contest. This time, Tomori is set to begin among the substitutes, with Gila taking his place.
A defender building his case
The numbers from Gila’s opening league appearances have strengthened his standing. Last season, he ranked among the leading ten defenders across Europe’s five major leagues for completed progressive passes, averaging 8.19 per match. His current figure remains high at 7.65, ahead of Dean Huijsen’s 6.94, Aymeric Laporte’s 6.33 and Robin Le Normand’s 4.16.
He has also maintained his defensive output. Gila is sixth among central defenders in the five major European leagues for successful tackles, at 0.6 per game. That places him above Pau Cubarsí on 0.38, Huijsen on 0.17, Le Normand on 0.32, Lisandro Martínez on 0.46 and Gabriel Magalhães on 0.36.
In defensive duels won, his average stands at 3.62 a match. Huijsen has 2.48, Cubarsí 1.91, Laporte 2.05 and Le Normand 2.24. Those figures matter beyond Milan, with the same names competing for defensive places in Spain’s national set-up.
Shape, pace and the October test
Gila began the campaign on the right of Amorim’s three-man defence. From the Lecce match onwards, however, he has been asked to move wider on the right in a back four. Amorim did not reveal before the Sassuolo game whether Milan would return to three defenders or retain the four-man line used against Lecce, the final match before the break.
Whatever the shape, Gila’s athleticism has widened his usefulness. He reached 31.4 km/h against Lecce and recorded an even higher top speed of 35.6 km/h against Benfica. That Benfica figure exceeds the best La Liga speeds registered last season by Marcus Rashford at 34.16 km/h, Vinícius Júnior at 33.92 km/h, Kylian Mbappé at 33.55 km/h and Raphinha at 33.45 km/h.
- Gila has started all five Serie A matches so far.
- He will seek to help Milan end their three-match winless run in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo.
- The Halloween derby follows on 31 October.
- Spain’s Nations League squad announcement could then offer him the senior call-up he has been pursuing.
For Milan, the next month offers a chance to turn an encouraging beginning into a firmer defensive foundation. For Gila, it is an opportunity to show that his rapid adaptation to Amorim’s team can carry him from Milanello to the Spain squad.
