AC Milan secured a deserved 3-0 home win against Hellas Verona on matchday 17 of Serie A with a goal from Christian Pulisic (45th) and a brace from Christopher Nkunku (48th, 53rd).
Thanks to this complete success, the Rossoneri climb to first place in the table, while the guests remain in the relegation zone in eighteenth place.
Pulisic breaks the spell
The first half is initially characterized by tactical testing and minor interruptions, as both Ruben Loftus-Cheek for the hosts and Domagoj Bradaric for Hellas have to be treated briefly.
Although Milan controlled possession of the ball and created numerous set-piece situations, they were unable to find a decisive breakthrough against the visitors’ defense for a long time.
The breakthrough only came in stoppage time in the first half: after an assist from Adrien Rabiot, Christian Pulisic (45th) scored the important opening goal for the home team.
Double strike after the break
The second round begins for Allegri’s protégés. Immediately after the restart, referee Michael Fabbri awarded a penalty for Milan, which Christopher Nkunku (48th) confidently converted to make it 2-0.
The hosts used the momentum ice-cold and followed up just a few minutes later when Nkunku (53′) put the ball in the net again and increased the score to 3-0.
Verona tried to be active offensively with several changes, including bringing in Gift Orban and Amin Sarr at the break, but remained completely harmless in the end.
The statistics underline the dominance of Milan’s defense: the guests did not manage a single shot on Mike Maignan’s goal throughout the entire season.
Changing of the guard at the top of the table
With this convincing victory, AC Milan moved past Inter Milan in the rankings and took the top position with 35 points. In the evening, Inter can follow suit in the game against Atalanta Bergamo.
The sporting situation remains critical for Hellas Verona, as the team is still stuck in a relegation zone with just twelve points.
