AC Milan 3-2 Atalanta: Ramos, Rabiot and Gila score as Rossoneri survive late scare
AC Milan survived a late comeback attempt from Atalanta to record an important win at San Siro on Sunday night, triumphing 3-2.
Milan were outstanding for the opening 60 minutes as they surged into a three-goal lead. Goncalo Ramos netted a penalty, Adrien Rabiot fired in another goal and Mario Gila scored a second-half header from a corner to make it look like an easy win was on the cards.
However, Maurizio Sarri’s men came roaring back right at the end, scoring first through Gianluca Gaetano and then through Nikola Krstic to make it a very nervy last 15 minutes for the Rossoneri, including added time.
Milan hung on though in the end to record an important victory that moves them to fourth in the Serie A standings, remaining four points behind the early pace-setters Inter, and two points behind Roma in second.
First half: Taking command
Ruben Amorim chose to make seven changes from the team that cruised past RB Salzburg in midweek. Mario Gila, Samuel Chukwueze, Yunus Musah, Luka Modric, Diego Moreira, Christian Pulisic and Goncalo Ramos all came back into the side.
Milan started the game on top in terms of possession, but it took eight minutes for it to translate into breaching the Atalanta box, but Chukwueze and Moreira had Carnesecchi flapping at two crosses, then Rabiot fired over from the edge of the box from the Nigerian’s cut-back.
In the 13th minute, Milan had the ball in the back of the net for the first time. Pulisic collected a low cross that had been flicked on to him by Ramos and fired into the top corner from a few yards out. However, the offside flag went up, and the decision was upheld.
The game began to open up, which left the Rossoneri a bit exposed at the back. A simply ball over the top left Krstovic one-on-one with Mike Maignan who came darting off his line. The striker rounded him but took it wide in the process, and he hit the side netting with his eventual shot from a tight angle.
At the midway point of the first half, Milan were awarded a spot kick in rather bizarre circumstances. Musah led the charge forward after Rabiot had been clattered in midfield and his shot deflected behind off the Atalanta substitute Obric, who replaced the injured Kolasinac.
The referee gave a goal kick but was told to pause the restart, with replays showing the shot had been blocked by the defender’s outstretched hand. A penalty was given after a VAR review, and Ramos tucked it away comfortably for his second goal in two games.
Tempers began to flare up five minutes before the break when Rabiot went into the book for protesting very strongly against a foul that had been given against him deep in the Atalanta half, but he would soon be smiling again.
In the 43rd minute, Milan doubled their advantage and it was Rabiot who got his fourth of the season in the league. A lovely pass through the lines by Diego Moreira on the left found the Frenchman, who controlled while turning, checked inside onto his right foot and picked out the bottom corner with a precise strike that had Carnesecchi rooted.
Second half: A late scare
Milan began the second 45 minutes how they had ended the first half: on top. The ball was again worked into the box from the left side and Rabiot dummied the ball well for Chukwueze to step up and strike, though he bent it wide of the far post.
While the lead was still two goals, Atalanta were only a moment away from causing some panic to set in. Bellanova sprinted clear down the right side after an attack broke down and his feed found Krstovic, who spooned his first-time effort over.
Amorim made his first change in the 53rd minute and he opted to take off Chukwueze to freshen things up on the right side, with Omari Hutchinson coming on.
Hutchinson was instantly involved and almost caught Carnesecchi off guard a bit with a cross from the byline that actually glanced off the post, then Pulisic drew a save with a follow-up effort. Before the corner was taken, the referee stopped the game for a VAR check which showed a previous handball on a Rabiot shot. He was called to the monitor, gave the penalty but Carnesecchi denied Ramos.
From the resulting corner kick, Milan did make it 3-0 through a lovely routine. Strahinja Pavlovic’s near-post dart was met by Modric’s in-swinging delivery and he provided the perfect flick-on to the far post where Gila was waiting to nod in from close range for his first goal for the club.
Milan seemed to shut down a bit after the third goal, with Atalanta hitting the post through Krstovic and then scoring three minutes later. It was a lovely move in truth, with a ball played into Zalewski who laid it off on a plate for the substitute Gaetano who made no mistake firing past Maignan.
With 15 minutes left, just after Samardzic had worked an opening well and shot wide, Amorim made a triple change. Pervis Estupinan, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ardon Jashari came on, with Modric, Musah and Pulisic coming off. Moreira moved up to attacking midfield as a result.
Things got even more nervy for the Diavolo with nine minutes left on the clock as Atalanta made it a one-goal game. A through ball down the side left Milan’s left flank exposed as Jashari lost a foot race with Bellanova, and his cut-back was swept in first time by Krstovic to make it 3-2.
It was so nearly 3-3 as Zappacosta got in behind down the left side this time, though Maignan made an outstanding save to deny the full-back. The groans were beginning to grow at San Siro, and Amorim responded by taking Gila off for Fikayo Tomori.
By the closing stages the game resembled basketball more than football. At one end Jashari drew a good low save with a strike from just outside the box, then at the other Estupinan made a sliding intervention on a far-post cross that somehow went back the way it came but was eventually cleared.
