Benevento will almost certainly be relegated this season, but Pietro Iemmello’s first half strike handed the Witches a first away win of the season and ensured that today would not be the day their fate was confirmed, and all at the home of the team that they earned their first point as a Serie A side against in AC Milan.
Milan might have dominated, but it is hard to argue against the minnows being worthy of their points, as they celebrate on the road for the first time at the 17th attempt.
Andre Silva should have put the hosts in front before Benevento had even found their feet at the Stadio San Siro, but the Portuguese was unable to take advantage of the opportunity. A cross into the Patrick Cutrone was half dealt with by Christian Puggioni and fell to the No.9 on the edge of the six-yard box with almost an open goal to aim at, but he wildly swiped and completely missed making any contact with the ball.
It was against Milan that Benevento picked up their first point in the top flight and they were very nearly gifted the lead before 15 minutes were played courtesy of Ricardo Rodriguez. The Swiss seemed to have lost all concentration and sense of surroundings as he looked to play a back-pass to Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was out of his goal. The full-back’s ball was destined for the back of the net, only for Donnarumma to scramble back and make a sliding clearance as the ball reached the goal.
Remarkably, the Witches did draw first blood through Iemmello. A loose ball in Milan’s defensive third was gathered by Nicolas Viola who played a pinpoint reverse pass with the outside of his left boot into the stride of Iemello, who just about evaded Milan’s defensive line before confidently slotting beyond Donnarumma.
Grande Iemmello!!!! pic.twitter.com/2qNhmSZsyo
— Simple man looking for sensitive Referees???? (@Undertall65) April 21, 2018
Cutrone came close to getting the Rossoneri back on terms. Franck Kessie found himself in an inside-right position and lifted a perfect pass over the defence to the striker on the far side. The youngster chested the ball down well and took his shot early, but his half-volley was just too high to find the top corner.
Milan came out as the better side in the second half but Danilo Cataldi almost made it two for Serie A’s bottom side, only to see his curling effort not quite come back in enough to trouble the top corner of Donnarumma’s goal.
On the hour mark, Kessie came close to levelling. A powerful run forward to the edge of the box finished with a fierce right-footed strike that crashed down off the crossbar and, fortunately for Puggioni, away. Fellow ex-Atalanta man Giacomo Bonaventura was the next to try his luck but his effort was tame and easily handled by Puggioni.
Viola came close at the other end and when he had options to pass he opted to shoot but narrowly hit his effort wide.
Bonaventura soon repeated his previous tame effort, before againg coming close to beating Puggioni only to be denied by a stretching Sandro.
Having only just come on as a substitute shortly after the hour mark, Cheick Diabate was given his marching orders for a second yellow card in the 80th minute after Leonardo Bonucci went down under a challenge from the striker as the Benevento man’s elbow made contact with the defender’s head.
Milan piled on the pressure from then, but Puggioni and co. kept their shape and limited the Rossoneri to efforts from outside the box and hopeful crosses into the box.
Five minutes of additional time became six, which then became seven as the time added was regularly interrupted with scuffles all over the pitch as Milan’s frustration grew with their humiliation but, against all odds, Benevento held on to record a historic win.
