AC Milan are on an unbeaten run after the resumption of the Serie A following the COVID-19 hiatus, and fresh from a 3-1 midweek victory over Parma.
AC Milan's Algerian midfielder Ismael Bennacer (2nd L) celebrates with AC Milan's Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu (C) after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A football match AC Milan vs Bologna played behind closed doors on July 15, 2020 at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, as the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)
AC Milan on Saturday thrashed Bologna 5-1 to continue their unbeaten run since the resumption of top-flight football in Ity after the COVID-19. On the other hand, Atlanta lost points again after they were held 1-1 by Verona.
Alexis Saelemaeker, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ismael Bennacer, Ante Rebic and Davide Calabria scored for the Rossoneri at the empty San Siro Stadium, while Takehiro Tomiyasu scored the loner for Bologna.
Milan went 2-0 up even before the game breached the half-hour mark. After Saelemaeker scored the opener in the 10th minute, Calhanoglu netted a volley from point-blank range.
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Bologna reduced the disparity when Tomiyasu cut inside from the right and unleashed a curler that flew into the net with both power and precision in the 44th minute.
But the hosts were quick to restore their two-goal lead when the secnd half began. Bennacer burst into the box and placed a low-strike into the corner within two minutes of the play’s resumption.
Milan was quick to add more to Bologna’s misery as Rebic turned in the box, and sent the ball into the far corner in the 56th minute. The final nail in the coffin was hammered by defender Calabria in the stoppage time when he finished with a daisy-cutter on Rafael Leao’s assist.
Milan temporarily leaped over Napoli into sixth place with 56 points.
Atalanta, who have scored the most goals in the current Serie A season, surprisingly played out a 1-1 draw at Verona.
The Dea broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when Verona defender Koray Gunter’s howler allowed Duvan Zapata to intercept the ball, the Colombian surged into the box and won the one-on-one against goalkeeper Marco Silvestri.
The home side got back on level terms nine minutes later when Atalanta’s goalie Pierluigi Gollini just meekly parried away Amir Rrahmani’s attempt and Matteo Pessina followed up to tap in from close range.
Atalanta should have scored the winner in the dying minutes but Mario Pasalic saw his attempt crash off the post.
In the other match on Saturday, Cagliari shared the spoils with Sassuolo in a 1-1 draw.
With IANS inputs
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