Bologna Rally to Secure Impressive Victory Over Struggling AC Milan

Bologna bounced back from conceding an early goal to secure a thrilling 2-1 victory over AC Milan, leapfrogging to sixth place in Serie A. This win also marked the end of a 17-match winless streak against the Rossoneri, a run that has stretched back to January 2016.

The contest, featuring two teams vying for European qualification, kicked off with a bang, as both sides created early chances.

Milan could have opened the scoring within the first minute when Santiago Giménez fired a close-range effort over the bar, following a precise pass from Yunas Musah.

Malick Thiaw narrowly avoided an own goal after diverting a dangerous cross from Benja Domínguez just past the far post, echoing his previous own goal during a 2-1 loss to Torino the prior weekend.

Sérgio Conceição’s side struggled to keep up with Bologna’s relentless intensity, with Dan Ndoye misfiring from a lovely long-range pass by Lewis Ferguson. Mike Maignan was then called into action, making a crucial save to thwart Benja Domínguez.

Despite being under pressure, it was Milan who drew first blood with a goal from Rafael Leão. Giménez inadvertently assisted after misjudging Maignan’s long ball, allowing Leão to skillfully round Łukasz Skorupski and slide the ball into an open net.

The Rossoblù had every reason to feel aggrieved going into halftime trailing by a goal, but Santiago Castro levelled the match just three minutes after the break. A free-kick from Ferguson disrupted the Milan defence, leading to Lorenzo De Silvestri’s header finding Giovanni Fabbian, who set up Castro to net the equaliser.

Yunus Musah emerged as one of Milan’s most dynamic players and nearly produced a sensational solo goal, dexterously cutting inside from the right before being thwarted by Skorupski.

On the other end, Juan Miranda came close to giving Bologna a second goal with a powerful left-foot strike that narrowly missed clearing the crossbar.

Conceição made a tactical change, bringing on Luka Jović in place of Giménez. The Serbian was quick to get involved, heading a cross from Youssouf Fofana directly at Skorupski moments after entering the fray.

However, it was Bologna that struck next. Following Nicolò Casale’s header which struck the post, the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara erupted as Dan Ndoye met Nicolò Cambiaghi’s exquisite left-sided delivery with a skillful finish in the 82nd minute.

It was an impressive night for Vincenzo Italiano’s squad, securing a seventh victory in their last nine home matches in Serie A. Meanwhile, Milan’s struggles continue, having only claimed one win from their last five games in all competitions, tumbling down to eighth place.

Check out a summary of the match here