AC Milan hold off Genoa for 2-1 Serie A win

Match report

AC Milan left the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris with a 2-1 win over Genoa in Serie A, building their advantage inside the opening 19 minutes before withstanding a late home surge.

Alphadjo Cissè opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a right-footed finish, assisted by Adrien Rabiot. Six minutes later, Christian Pulisic doubled the visitors’ lead with another right-footed strike, with Gonçalo Ramos providing the assist. Those two decisive moments gave Milan a 2-0 half-time lead.

Genoa did not lack attacking activity across the match. The home side registered 17 shots to Milan’s six, put five efforts on target to Milan’s two, and recorded 43 dangerous attacks compared with 19 for the visitors. They also created two big chances, the same total as Milan, but missed both; Milan missed none of their two big chances.

That contrast was reflected in the final score. Milan had less of the shooting volume, yet their early chances produced the two goals that ultimately separated the sides. Genoa’s goalkeeper made no saves, while Mike Maignan made five for Milan.

Genoa’s late response

The hosts continued to press after the interval despite Milan’s control of possession. Milan finished with 62% of the ball, completing 488 of 580 passes at an 84% success rate. Genoa completed 264 of 337 at 78%, but carried a substantial share of the attacking threat through 85 attacks, 17 total crosses and three corners.

Genoa made five substitutions, introducing Tommaso Baldanzi and Federico Insúa in the 62nd minute, Lorenzo Colombo in the 74th, and Franz-Ethan Meichtry and Djibril Sow in the 84th. Milan used four changes, including Omari Hutchinson for Cissè in the 61st minute and Ardon Jashari for Pulisic in the 79th.

The home side finally found their goal in the 88th minute. Mikael Egill Ellertsson finished left-footed from a Baldanzi assist to make it 1-2 and set up a tense closing period. Genoa could not find an equaliser before full time, however, and Milan protected the advantage earned in the first half.

The numbers behind the result

Milan’s possession advantage was clear, as were their 13 interceptions to Genoa’s five and their 100 ball-safe actions to the hosts’ 66. Genoa, though, led in several attacking measures: 11 key passes to five, 13 successful dribbles to six, six accurate crosses to one, and 10 goal attempts to five.

The match also contained a number of disciplinary moments. Milan received four yellow cards and Genoa two. A VAR review was recorded in the 51st minute, listed as a review for a potential red card; no red-card event appears in the match record.

Standout performers

Pulisic was named Player of the Match with a rating of 7.75 after scoring Milan’s second goal. Rabiot, who assisted the opener, received a 7.64 rating. For Genoa, Leo Østigård was rated 7.17, while goalscorer Ellertsson earned 7.12.

For Milan, this was a win constructed by clinical early finishing and preserved through a demanding final stretch. Genoa will point to their greater shot count, late goal and sustained attacking output, but the visitors’ two-goal first-half platform proved enough.