AC MILAN DEFEATED 2‑3 BY ATALANTA
Serie A
On Mother’s Day, AC Milan were beaten 3-2 by Raffaele Palladino's Atalanta at San Siro. After the defeat to Sassuolo, Massimiliano Allegri's men couldn’t react, having found themselves two goals down at the break following goals by Éderson and Zappacosta. Raspadori then added a third at the start of the second half. The Rossoneri reacted late on through a Pavlović header and an Nkunku penalty, but it was too late, in a game in which the Rossoneri never really got going.
The entrance of Christopher Nkunku changed the attacking shape for AC Milan; he hit the bar, won and subsequently converted the penalty, and upped the tempo late on. The Rossoneri came agonisingly close to rescuing a late point, but it ended in a defeat that leaves AC Milan on 67 points, in fourth place in the table. Next up, AC Milan travel to Marassi to take on Genoa, where Allegri will need to make do without the suspended Estupiñan, Leão, and Saelemaekers.
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM AC MILAN v ATALANTA
MATCH REPORT
An intense start right from the off at San Siro. In the 4th minute Rabiot fired a shot from the edge of the box, grazing the crossbar, but it was Atalanta who struck first: a move involving De Ketelaere, with fine hold-up play from Raspadori who laid it off to Éderson, and the Brazilian's angled finish found the corner, 0-1 to the Dea. The Bergamo based side kept pressing, first through Kristović in the 15th minute and Zalewski in the 17th, both kept out by Maignan, then in the 29th minute they found the second goal: more hold-up play, this time from Kristović, and a run into the box from Zappacosta who tapped it in from close range to make it 0-2. AC Milan tried to respond through Gimenez and Leão, but Carnesecchi also dealt comfortably with Saelemaekers' effort late in the half.
The second half began with a long-range effort from Leão that went over the bar. In the 52nd minute it was Atalanta who struck again: Éderson won the ball back and fed Raspadori, who found the top corner with his left foot to make it 0-3 to the Nerazzurri. AC Milan responded through Nkunku, dangerous on at least two occasions and close to scoring in the 75th minute when he struck the crossbar, with Carnesecchi's deflection also playing a part. In the closing stages, the Rossoneri piled on the pressure. From Ricci's free-kick, Pavlović pulled one back with a powerful header: 1-3. Deep into stoppage time Nkunku won a penalty and converted it to make it 2-3, seemingly reigniting hopes of a comeback. A few minutes later Gabbia came close to levelling, diverting Nkunku's free kick cross just wide. The match ended 2-3.
MATCH DETAILS
AC MILAN 2-3 ATALANTA
AC MILAN (3-5-2): Maignan; De Winter (58' Athekame), Gabbia, Pavlović; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek (46' Nkunku), Ricci, Rabiot, Bartesaghi (80' Estupiñan); Leão (58' Fofana), Gimenez (58' Füllkrug). Subs: Pittarella, Terracciano; Odogu;, Jashari. Coach: Allegri.
ATALANTA (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini (48' Kossounou) (63' Ahanor), Hien, Kolašinac; Zappacosta (55' Bellanova), De Roon, Éderson, Zalewski; De Ketelaere (63' Pašalić), Raspadori; Krstović. A disp.: Rossi, Sportiello; Obrić; Bakker, Musah, Samardžić; Scamacca, Sulemana, Vavassori. All.: Palladino
Refree: Zufferli from Udine.
Goals: 7' Éderson (A), 29' Zappacosta (A), 52' Raspadori (A), 88' Pavlović (M), 94' pen. Nkunku (M).
Booked: 34' Leão (M), 70' Hien (A), 90' Estupiñan (M), 90' Saelemaekers (M), 95' Kristovic (A), 96' Bellanova (A).
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