AC Milan 2-0 Atalanta: Serie A champions continue revival with fourth straight victory to climb into third

An own goal and a dinked effort from Junior Messias earned AC Milan a 2-0 win over Atalanta to draw level on points with second place Inter Milan in Serie A. Theo Hernandez’s first-half wonder strike troubled Juan Musso as the ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper’s back and into the net.

Ad Milan squandered a handful of chances in the second half, but eventually put the game to bed when Messias lifted the ball over Musso with minutes left on the clock to secure all three points. Serie AMessias nets crucial winner as Milan move up to third in Serie A18/02/2023 AT 16:38 Milan threatened throughout the first half and almost went ahead early on when Rafael Leao produced a pinpoint cross for Olivier Giroud who guided the ball inches off target.

Hernandez’s thunderous first-half volley from outside the Atalanta penalty area caused problems for goalkeeper Musso, as the ball crashed off the post before striking his back and trickling over the line to put Milan ahead. Giroud broke through the Atalanta defence but was denied one on one by Musso in the second half, before the goalkeeper kept out Leao’s effort, palming away the winger’s dangerous strike.

Milan had two great chances to double their lead in the second half but wasted both. Sandro Tonali squared the ball across the six-yard box to Leao after a clever Milan move but Joakim Maehle recovered well to put Leao off with the goal gaping, who fell to the ground without making contact with the ball.

Minutes later, Davide Zappacosta made a defensive mess and, instead of seeing an overrun ball behind for a goal kick, was caught out by a resilient Hernandez who stole the ball from him. Hernandez found Leao, who set up Messias, but the wing-back blazed his shot over the bar from