TIME MACHINE: BONAVENTURA IN ATALANTA v AC MILAN

The last game of the season is like the last day of school. There is always a sense of ending, of conclusion, hanging in the air. Even when the year hasn’t been particularly positive, the aim is always to finish off in the best way possible after months of hard work. Atalanta v AC Milan was the last game of a difficult season on 30 May 2015, hardly satisfying for the Rossoneri who were under Filippo Inzaghi at the time.

A certain someone stood out on that evening in Bergamo, closing out his first of six seasons in Rossoneri in the best way possible. For Giacomo Bonaventura, this was the first time he was “back home” against the Atalanta that raised him, and brought him to Serie A and the Italy squad. A special game for Jack, who scored his first brace for the Rossoneri.

On the pitch with no aims to be met in the table - the Orobici were far away from the risk of relegation and the Rossoneri far from the European spots- Atalanta and AC Milan put on a lively and entertaining match right from the whistle. It was the hosts who scored first, after a chance for both sides (Bonaventura and Denis). 21', a cross from the right by Morález and Baselli who ran to get his head on it and put it past Abbiati.

Inzaghi's team didn't lie down, and after a quarter of an hour, the 1-2 arrived to turn the match around. In the 36th minute, Pazzini first won a penalty after being fouled by Masiello and then converted it from the spot, sending Sportiello the wrong way. In the 38th minute, however, it was Bonaventura himself who collected the ball and slammed it into the net after Pazzini’s shot hit the post.

The match remained lively in the second half, with the Nerazzurri's attempts thwarted by the Rossoneri backline and Abbiati between the posts. In the 80th minute, the Rossoneri made it 3-1, and it was Giacomo Bonaventura who scored again. Cross from Poli towards van Ginkel, Sportiello came out to collect from the Dutchman. The ball fell to Jack who first hit the post and then, after dribbling past Scaloni and the goalkeeper himself, deposited the ball into the back of the net.

A brace, his first in an AC Milan shirt and the third in his Serie A career. The two goals went without celebration, out of respect for the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia crowd who applauded him when he was substituted off in the 90th minute. A young Davide Di Molfetta, a Primavera player making his Serie A debut that day just like Davide Calabria, came on for the then Rossoneri number 28. The final whistle marked the end of the match and the season, but not of Bonaventura's time with the Rossoneri. He honoured the AC Milan shirt with his 184 appearances, 35 goals and winning the 2016 Italian Super Cup.

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