(PRIMASPORT) MILAN – AC Milan made the difference for two-thirds of the match, struggling towards the end, but ultimately managed to secure a 3-2 victory against an Atalanta side that responded in the second half and nearly pulled off a complete comeback. Amorim's Rossoneri dominated the first half, finishing two ahead thanks to goals from Ramos, a penalty, and Rabiot, before adding a third through Gila early in the second half. Just when the match seemed settled, the Nerazzurri responded. Sarri's moves in the 15-minute mark changed the course of the match, with Gaetano and Krstovic reopening the game and forcing Milan into a tense final stretch. Atalanta came close to equalizing several times, but found themselves faced with an alert Maignan, who was decisive in defending the Rossoneri's lead. It was a two-faced victory for AC Milan, capable of building a significant lead but also risking ruining everything in the second half. Atalanta regretted having paid for their defensive emergency and conceded two penalties, one of which Carnesecchi saved from Ramos, who had broken the deadlock from the spot.
THE NEWS
Milan got off to a good start, displaying good organization and a certain superiority in individual duels right from the start. The Rossoneri's first attempt came in the 10th minute, with Rabiot, fed by Chukwueze, unleashing a powerful shot that went over the crossbar. Three minutes later, the Rossoneri also found a way to score through Pulisic, but the goal was ruled out for offside. The move stemmed from a cross from Chukwueze, followed by a touch from Ramos, and ended with Pulisic in an offside position. Atalanta attempted to respond, and in the 16th minute they threatened with a solo effort from De Ketelaere, who raced toward Maignan's goal, but was knocked off balance by Pavlovic just as he was about to fire into the box. In the 19th minute, Krstovic created chaos by beating Maignan as he came out, but from a favorable position, he failed to find the target. In the 20th minute, Atalanta was forced to forgo Kolasinac due to a muscle injury, and Sarri brought on Obric. His debut wasn't exactly a successful one. Four minutes after his introduction, a shot from Musah struck the Nerazzurri defender's arm in the box. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Gonzalo Ramos stepped up to take the spot, wrong-footing Carnesecchi and giving AC Milan the lead. In the 42nd minute, Samardzic tried to surprise Maignan from the edge of the box with a left-footed shot at the near post, but it didn't find the target. Just a minute later, AC Milan struck again with Rabiot, who had been booked shortly before for protesting, collecting Moreira's pass and beating Carnesecchi with a right-footed shot at the near post, securing AC Milan's second goal.
After the break, Milan returned with the same intensity they had shown in the first half. After just three minutes, Chukwueze attempted to threaten with a curling left-footed shot, but his effort went wide. In the eighth minute, the Rossoneri made their first substitution, with Amorim bringing on Chukwueze for Hutchinson. In the 12th minute, the referee awarded another penalty for a handball by Kristensen. Ramos stepped up to the spot again, but this time Carnesecchi sensed the penalty and saved it. The Rossoneri's third goal, however, was only delayed by a few seconds. Following a corner, the ball was flicked on by Rabiot for Gila's header, making it three. In the 14th minute, Sarri attempted to change the face of Atalanta with a double substitution, bringing on Zalewski and Gaetano for Rowe and Pasalic. Shortly after, Gaetano played a through ball to Krstovic, who unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that Maignan could do nothing about, but the post denied the goal. In the 21st minute, Atalanta managed to close the gap thanks to a nice combination between the two newcomers. Zalewski precisely fed Gaetano, who beat Maignan with a left-footed shot to reopen the game. The Nerazzurri gained confidence, and in the 29th minute, Samardzic made a breakthrough with a slalom that allowed him to beat De Winter, but his shot went wide. On the half-hour mark, Sarri made further changes, bringing on Samardzic and Bernasconi to make way for Scamacca and Zappacosta, with Atalanta switching to a 4-3-3. Milan also made three changes: Amorim brought on Estupinan, Jashari, and Loftus-Cheek for Musah, Pulisic, and Modric. The Nerazzurri's pressure mounted, and in the 37th minute, the goal that finally reopened the game arrived: Bellanova sent in a low cross that Krstovic pounced on, placing the ball in the corner to make it 3-2. Atalanta wasn't satisfied and continued to push for an equalizer. Shortly afterward, Zappacosta found himself one-on-one with Maignan, but the French goalkeeper reacted quickly and saved the shot. Amorim rushed to cover the scoreboard and exhausted his substitutions, bringing on Tomori for Gila. The five minutes of injury time were filled with drama. In the 90th minute, Zappacosta had another go with a shot from the edge of the area, easily blocked by Maignan. In the 90th minute, Milan came close to knocking the game out completely when Ramos capitalized on a ball lost by Bellanova and raced toward goal, but Carnesecchi made his escape.
SCOREBOARD
AC MILAN-ATALANTA 3-2
MILAN (3-4-2-1): Maignan 6.5 Gila 7 (39' st Tomori sv) De Winter 5.5 Pavlovic 6.5 Chukwueze 6 (8' st Hutchinson 6) Musah 6 (30' st Estupinan 6) Modric 6.5 (30' st Lofts-Cheek 6) Rabiot 7 Moreira 6.5 Pulisic 6.5 (30' st Jashari 6) Ramos 6.5. Subs: Bouyer, Torriani, Diawara, Comotto, Bartesaghi, Vladimirov, Terracciano, Cisse, Camarda. Coach: Amorim
ATALANTA (4-2-3-1): Carnesecchi 6.5 Bellanova 6.5 Kristensen 5 Kolasinac 6 (20' pt Obric 5) Bernasconi 5.5 (30' st Zappacosta 6) Ederson 6 Pasalic 5.5 (14' st Gaetano 7) De Ketelaere 5.5 Samardzic 6 (30' st Scamacca 6) Rowe 5.5 (14' st Zalewski 6.5) Krstovic 7. Subs: Sportiello, Sonzogni, Idele, Plaia, Pounga. Coach: Sarri
Referee: Chiffi 6 Assistants: Mondin and Yoshikawa Fourth official: Sozza VAR Camplone AVAR Prontera
Scorers: pt 24' Ramos (R), pt 43' Rabiot, st 12' Gila, st 21' Gaetano, st 36' Krstovic
Booked: Rabiot, Ederson, Obric
Recovery: 3, 5 (PRIMASPORT)