Back in Europe after three years, AC Milan overhauled the squad in the summer of 2017 with several new additions to help prepare for the first full season of the new Chinese ownership. Among the various arrivals was Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus in a defence also revamped by the arrivals of Conti, Musacchio and Rodríguez. Midfielders Biglia, Çalhanoğlu and Kessie came in, as did forwards Kalinić and André Silva. The Rossoneri picked up twelve points from their first five league matches, but in the following nine matches in Serie A, however, AC Milan could only collect eight points and, after the 0-0 draw against Torino on 26 November, Vincenzo Montella was dismissed. In his place came Club legend Gennaro Gattuso. After a short breaking-in period, the team went up a gear at the start of the second half of the campaign with eight victories in ten games. A decline at the beginning of spring (three points from five games) didn't stop the team finishing sixth at the end of the season. This meant direct qualification for the Europa League group stages. The journey in the Coppa Italia must also be mentioned: after overcoming Hellas Verona, Inter and Lazio, the Rossoneri reached the final against Juventus. The Bianconeri, however, beat the Rossoneri 4-0, but Gattuso's team still had a place in the following season's Supercoppa Italiana as Juventus won the Scudetto as well.
Flying through the preliminary rounds against Craiova (3-0 on aggregate) and Škendija (7-0 on aggregate), the Rossoneri rang in a great group stage campaign with a 5-1 win over Austria Wien in Vienna and a 3-2 home win over Rijeka with a last-minute goal from Cutrone. They secured their spot at the top of the group and a place in the round of 32 with another 5-1 win over the Austrians and two 0-0 draws with AEK Athens. Then came two more wins and two clean sheets against the Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad. The season in Europe ended in the round of 16, however, with Wenger's Arsenal beating us 2-0 at San Siro and then coming back from behind to beat the Rossoneri again at the Emirates.
