STADIO RENATO DALL’ARA (Bologna) – AC Milan recorded a 3-2 win at Bologna in Serie A on Sunday evening to win back-to-back matches for just the second time this season.
Stefano Pioli’s side look to be at home when they visit Emilia-Romagna, building on their win in Parma last week with a deserved but less-than-comfortable three points.
They were made to work for their win by the end though, but they just about came through a game that had it all with the win intact.
AC Milan played well but still had to cling on for the points at Bologna and @ConJClancy was there for #FIFattheGames again.
Report ? https://t.co/4o6Tw6lNw5#BolognaMilan #SerieA pic.twitter.com/gBI4tzC8Ko
— ForzaItalianFootball (@SerieAFFC) December 8, 2019
Last time out at Parma Milan had a lot of the ball and showed some signs of promise, but were just left lacking something in the final third. But they had an extra bit of zip to their play on Sunday and it bore fruit.
Krzysztof Piatek did excellently to get goal-side of Mattia Bani on the left and make it into the box. The No.9 held him off with great strength before being bundled over in what was a clumsy coming together. A penalty was awarded, Piatek himself took it and, despite Lukasz Skorupski’s best attempt at mind games, he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to open the scoring.
Bologna threatened a little, but in random bursts that weren’t sustained. Even when venturing forward though they never gave Gianluigi Donnarumma much to think about.
One became two when Theo Hernandez restored parity on top of Milan’s scoring charts having seen Piatek just move clear of him. The Spanish full-back is the one credited with the goal, but Suso’s part shouldn’t be overlooked. Coming in from the right as he so often does he threaded a pinpoint ball into his compatriot’s path, allowing Theo to control and finish.
Theo took the role of pantomime villain. After doubling Milan’s lead he gestured beneath the home curva, which wasn’t well-received, but they had their revenge before too long.
A Rossoblu corner from the left hit Theo’s defending arm and bounced into his own goal to halve the deficit. When his name was credited with the goal, the Dall’Ara erupting into mocking and jeering.
Giacomo Bonaventura had shown his important to Milan throughout the first half and he marked his fine performance with an equally impressive goal with Bologna’s players barely back out after the break. The ex-Atalanta man was first to gather a loose ball on the edge of the box before setting himself and curling out of Skorupski’s reach with his left foot to restore that two-goal cushion.
For much of the second half Milan had things under control, but that changed all of a sudden in the final ten minutes. Riccardo Orsolini came off the bench and won a penalty after being shoved by Theo. Daniele Chiffi originally waved away the claims but after referring to his pitch-side monitor he pointed to the spot, allowing Nicola Sansone to put Bologna back to within one.
