Full-time: AC Milan 3-2 Atalanta
AC Milan survived a forceful late response from Atalanta to claim a 3-2 home win in Serie A. Milan led 2-0 at the break and extended their advantage to three shortly after the restart, only for Atalanta to turn the closing stages into a tense finish with goals in the 66th and 81st minutes.
The result was shaped by decisive early moments, two confirmed Milan penalties, and a second-half shift in the scoreline. Milan had enough of their lead left to see out the contest at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Milan take control before half-time
There was an early intervention from VAR in the 13th minute, when a Milan goal involving Christian Pulisic was disallowed. Milan remained on the front foot, however, and were awarded a penalty after a VAR confirmation in the 22nd minute.
Gonçalo Ramos converted from the spot two minutes later to make it 1-0. Milan then doubled the lead in the 43rd minute: Adrien Rabiot finished with his right foot, with Diego Moreira credited with the assist.
That gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead. Across the match, Milan held 56% possession and completed 547 of 601 passes, while Atalanta completed 423 of 464. Both teams recorded a 91% pass-completion rate, underlining how closely contested the ball was despite Milan’s larger share of it.
A three-goal cushion, then a comeback attempt
Milan were awarded another penalty following VAR confirmation in the 55th minute. Ramos’ effort was saved in the 57th minute, but Milan still found their third goal in that same minute. Mario Gila headed in, with Rabiot supplying the assist, to put the home side 3-0 ahead.
Atalanta responded after their 59th-minute double substitution. Gianluca Gaetano, introduced at that point, scored with his left foot in the 66th minute after an assist from fellow substitute Nicola Zalewski. The deficit was reduced further in the 81st minute when Nikola Krstović struck with his right foot from Raoul Bellanova’s assist.
The late goals ensured a demanding conclusion, but Milan protected the 3-2 scoreline through to full time.
What the numbers show
The contest was remarkably even in overall attacking volume. Milan had 11 shots to Atalanta’s 12, while the hosts led 6-4 in shots on target. Atalanta created four big chances to Milan’s three and registered 45 dangerous attacks, compared with 43 for Milan.
Milan’s edge came in several other areas. They won 37 duels to Atalanta’s 29, made 20 tackles to 14, and recorded 10 interceptions to seven. They also completed 24 successful long passes, compared with 13 for the visitors.
Atalanta carried an evident threat despite defeat. They made 17 crosses and 15 dribble attempts, versus Milan’s 11 and 13 respectively, and completed seven dribbles to Milan’s four. Their two late goals made sure the statistics translated into a real challenge for the hosts rather than a comfortable finish.
Rabiot leads Milan’s decisive moments
Adrien Rabiot was named Player of the Match with a rating of 8.97. His 43rd-minute goal put Milan 2-0 up, and his assist for Gila’s header delivered the third goal. He also received a yellow card in the 41st minute.
Gila scored and recorded a 7.31 rating, while Yunus Musah was rated 7.02 after being involved in the sequence that led to the first confirmed penalty. For Atalanta, Krstović earned a 7.39 rating after his late goal. Gaetano, who scored after coming on, was rated 7.27, while Bellanova supplied the assist for the visitors’ second goal and received a 7.28 rating.
Milan leave the match with the points after a strong first hour; Atalanta leave with evidence of a late fight that narrowed a three-goal gap to one.