Giacomo Bonaventura was the hero for AC Milan as they overcame a resilient Bologna 2-1 at the Stadio San Siro on Sunday evening.
Following on from his strike and assist in the draw with Benevento last weekend, Bonaventura bagged a brace to take his season tally to three goals.
The victory also marked Gennaro Gattuso’s first win as Rossoneri coach, following the aforementioned Benevento result, and the midweek Europa League defeat to Rijeka.
As a result, Milan leapfrog their opponents in the Serie A standings, moving up to seventh, and three points from the European places.
Milan set the early running, and had Bologna pinned in their own half.
Bonaventura broke the deadlock after 10 minutes with a well placed side-footed effort from the edge of the area, though Antonio Mirante will feel he could have done better.
Bonaventura gives #ACMilan the lead.#Milan vs #Bologna 1-0. Via @SempreMilanCom pic.twitter.com/Iomgx5O3lq
— AC Milan Global ???????? (@acmilan_intl) December 10, 2017
Moments later, Fabio Borini attempted a hooked shot from 20 yards out, but this time Mirante made the easy save.
At one end, Suso managed to wriggle to the goalline, but his cross was booted clear, then Bologna went right up the end and Riccardo Montolivo brilliantly blocked Mattia Destro’s shot as the Rossoblu frontman pulled the trigger.
It mattered not as Bologna got their equaliser seconds later. Destro this time dribbled into the box, before cutting back to Verdi for a delicate finish into the far top corner.
Milan stepped up the pressure as half time approached, with Franck Kessie and Leonardo Bonucci both going close.
After the break, neither side were able to fashion any clear cut chances, though Milan once again had Bologna camped on the edge of their penalty box.
Rodrigo Palacio had a shot saved, while Suso tried a curling effort from the right, but it went just wide of the far post.
With 15 minutes to go a speculative cross from Borini found the head of Bonaventura who nodded past Mirante.
WATCH: Borini’s cross finds Bonaventura, 2-1! ??????#MilanBologna 2-1. pic.twitter.com/9j0yyTVOk0
— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) December 10, 2017
Bologna almost pulled level through Saphir Taider but his header at the back post was pushed out for a corner by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Then Adam Masina tried his luck from range, but a slight deflection took the ball onto the crossbar.
Try as they might, Bologna were unable to grab a second equaliser and fell to their first defeat in three games.
MATCH FACTS
- AC Milan found the net after 399 minutes without scoring at home in Serie A.
- AC Milan had 21 shots against Bologna, a joint-record for the Rossoneri in a 2017/18 Serie A match.
- AC Milan won a Serie A home match for the first time since 20 September vs SPAL.
- AC Milan scored a goal in the first 15 minutes of play of a Serie A match for the first time since Cutrone vs Cagliari (August).
- Bonaventura found the net in two Serie A games in a row for the first time since September 2015.
- Bonaventura scored his fourth brace in Serie A (the last was in May 2015 vs Atalanta).
- Simone Verdi has been directly involved in 7 goals (4 goals, 3 assists) in the last 5 Bologna Serie A matches.
- Bologna have conceded at least 1 goal in their last 4 Serie A away games.
- Verdi has scored all his 5 2017/18 Serie A goals in the first half.
- Milan have scored 10 of the last 17 Serie A goals against Bologna between the 75th minute and the end of the game.
