Milan beat Hellas Verona 3-0 this Sunday (28) and provisionally overtook Inter to take the lead in Serie A. The highlight of the match was Christopher nunkuscorer of two goals, who scored for the first time in the championship this season.
Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time from a corner after Verona had steadfastly resisted pressure from the home team. Nkunku scored twice in a span of five minutes, achieving his first double in over a year.
The victory in the last game of the year took Milan to 35 points, two more than rivals Inter, who still face Atalanta away from home this Sunday. Verona remains in 18th place.
“For us, today it was important to win against a complicated and fast team”, said coach Massimiliano Allegri, in an interview with DAZN.
“At the moment, the Scudetto objective should be between 82 and 84 points. It could reach 86 if a team puts together a strong run.”
In the first half, Verona followed its game plan to the letter, defending with intensity and organization. He maintained possession of the ball, but had difficulty finding decisive passes in the face of the opponent’s well-established structure.
Despite their control of the game, clear chances were few, and frustration grew as Verona resisted. When it looked like the teams would go into half-time goalless, Milan took the lead from a set piece.
Pulisic opens the scoring
After a corner kick, Luka Modric’s cross was deflected by Adrien Rabiot, heading towards the second post. Pulisic reacted quickly and volleyed home from close range, sending the San Siro fans into a frenzy.
Less than two minutes after the game resumed, defender Victor Nelsson brought down Nkunku inside the box. The Frenchman took the penalty and moved goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò to extend Milan’s lead.
Shaken, Verona conceded the third goal five minutes later. Modric took a risk from outside the area, Montipò stretched, but the ball hit the post and was left for Nkunku to push into the empty goal.
“He’s a very sensitive guy and really wanted to do well. Today he finally let go, especially after the penalty,” Allegri said of Nkunku.
“He scored a goal that is part of his DNA and I believe he can improve even more, like everyone else. In the first half we were a little tense. In the second, we were better.”
The third goal practically defined the match. Milan started to control the pace of the game and limited Verona to a few shots.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek still had a good chance in a one-on-one duel with the goalkeeper, which ended with a save from Montipò. Verona found the net with Gift Orban, but the goal was disallowed due to offside and a foul on goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
In the final minutes, Allegri promoted the debut of 19-year-old David Odogu in Serie A. Milan managed the result with calm and confirmed a convincing victory at home.
