AC Milan advanced to the Serie A title game with a 2-0 victory over Atalanta, needing only one point to win the league in their final home game of the season.
AC Milan entered the San Siro on Sunday night with a two-point lead over Inter Milan, while Atalanta were still fighting for a place in Europe. Milan’s last home victory over Atalanta was in 2014, followed by four draws and three defeats.
Both teams created few genuine chances in the first half, and Milan striker Olivier Giroud was booked for dissent after his penalty appeal was denied, according to Xinhua. In the 54th minute, the home team introduced Junior Messias, who made an immediate impact with a long pass over the top that found Rafael Leao, who resisted a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge to finish with a low strike.
Theo Hernandez started a move from his own half to surge forward and ride tackles before sending the ball to the bottom corner, and AC Milan sealed the win 20 minutes later.
In other news, Inter Milan kept their Scudetto hopes alive with a win over Cagliari thanks to Matteo Darmian’s opener and a brace from Lautaro Martinez.
The title will be decided in the final round, with AC Milan visiting Sassuolo and Inter Milan hosting Sampdoria. Due to their superior head-to-head record, the Rossoneri would win their first Serie A title since 2011.
Napoli finished third after defeating Genoa 3-0. Lorenzo Insigne, who is leaving Napoli for Toronto FC this summer, said his final goodbyes to Napoli fans at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, while Genoa joins Venezia in dropping to Serie B after 15 years in the top flight.
Sassuolo also defeated Bologna 3-1 on Sunday.
(Inputs from IANS)