ROSSONERI TAKE HOME THE POINTS FROM VERONA
Serie A
The winning run in March continues, and the Rossoneri go into the international break on a high. AC Milan dazzled as they beat Hellas Verona by three goals to one and recorded their fifth straight win in all competitions. With all three points in the bag, the Rossoneri are now in second place, three points clear of Juventus, and with a decent lead over fifth. On the scoresheet this afternoon: an unstoppable Theo Hernández, Christian Pulisic (who has twelve goals in all competitions this season, his best-ever tally), and Samuel Chukwueze, who scored his first in Serie A.
Noslin scored for the hosts to make it 2-1. Fun fact: Pulisic's goal was the Rossoneri's 5000th in Serie A. But there's more cause for celebration than just numbers alone, as today's performance saw the extension of the team's great run of form. AC Milan's recent results haven't come about by chance, as they have managed their games very well. That was the case today as well; the Rossoneri resisted Verona's ferocious reaction after the second goal and also closed out the game with maturity. These are positives to take forward following the impending international break. The Rossoneri's return pits them up against Fiorentina at the Franchi on Saturday 30 March.
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM HELLAS VERONA v AC MILAN
MATCH REPORT
It was a frantic game right from the off: Tomori's effort flashed just wide from a Theo free-kick inside four minutes and then Calabria played in Loftus-Cheek down the right channel, but there was no-one in the box to turn home the Englishman's dangerous cross after eleven minutes. The Scaligeri replied through Noslin, before a superb right-footed volley from Okafor was brilliantly kept out by Montipò, with the help of the crossbar, on 19 minutes. The Rossoneri kept plugging away, with Pulisic having two chances in the 23rd and 24th minute, but with no luck. Counterattacks were mostly where the game's best moments derived from. In the 37th minute, Pulisic set up Okafor, whose shot was off-target, and then in the 39th minute Hernández's breakaway ended with the Swiss shooting over. AC Milan's deserved lead came in the 44th minute, and it was all through good work from Theo Hernández: picking up the ball after a blocked cross, the Frenchman went off on his own, barged past a couple of defenders, with the balls bouncing in his favour, before beating Montipò with a sweet left-footed touch at the near post.
Gabbia came on for Kalulu after the break, and not long after it was 2-0 to AC Milan. In the 50th minute, Okafor won back possession in the middle of the park, got a shot off on target with his left, only for Montipò to parry and Pulisic tap-in on the follow-up. It was the American's fourth goal in a row, who also came close to finding a third shortly after, before the home team reduced the deficit. After two chances for Noslin and Świderski, it was the former, in the 64th minute, to score with a rasping right-footed effort from the edge of the box that Maignan had no chance in saving. AC Milan, however, didn't slip up. Leão opened the face of his boot too much in a one-on-one with Montipò on 70 minutes, before the Rossoneri restored their two-goal advantage in the 79th minute and what a beauty it was from substitute Sammy Chukwueze: a left-footed volley from the 18-yard box following the development of a corner. It was the knockout blow, as the closing stages belonged to Coach Pioli's side. The most interesting opportunity fell to Chukwueze, with another left-footed shot from the edge of the box that skimmed the post in the 89th minute. It ended 3-1 to us!
MATCH DETAILS
HELLAS VERONA 1-3 AC MILAN
HELLAS VERONA (4-2-3-1): Montipò; Centonze, Coppola, Dawidowicz (57' Magnani), Cabal (76' Vinagre); Duda, Serdar (46' Dani Silva); Suslov, Folorunsho (57' Świderski), Lazović (57' Mitrović); Noslin. Subs: Chiesa, Perilli; Tchatchoua; Belahyane, Charlys; Bonazzoli, Tavşan. Coach: Baroni.
AC MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kalulu (46' Gabbia), Tomori (84' Kjær), Hernández; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic (66' Giroud), Loftus-Cheek (66' Musah), Leão; Okafor (74' Chukwueze). Subs: Nava, Sportiello; Florenzi, Terracciano, Thiaw; Adli; Jović. Coach: Pioli.
Referee: Mariani from Aprilia.
Goals: 44' Hernández (M), 50' Pulisic (M), 64' Noslin (HV), 79' Chukwueze (M).
Booked: 6' Serdar (HV), 30' Tomori (M), 45' Hernández (M), 45' Baroni (HV), 87' Reijnders (M).
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