AC Milan held on through a dramatic ending to beat Atalanta 3-2 in Serie A after letting a three-goal lead slip away. Adrien Rabiot was decisive, scoring one goal and helping create another as the Rossoneri controlled the match for an hour before facing intense pressure.

Both sides came into the game after European wins on Thursday. Milan had defeated RB Salzburg 4-0, while Atalanta earned a 3-1 victory over Pafos in the Conference League. However, the visitors were dealing with multiple injury issues, which worsened when Sead Kolasinac had to be replaced during the first half.

Despite Milan’s dominance and three goals, Atalanta produced a spirited fightback that nearly earned a point. Mike Maignan’s late save proved vital as the hosts secured the win.

Milan take control through Rabiot’s goal and a penalty converted by Ramos

Milan began brightly, with Rabiot shooting over from a good position before Christian Pulisic had a goal disallowed for offside in the 13th minute. Goncalo Ramos had flicked on Samuel Chukwueze’s low cross, but Pulisic could not celebrate.

Atalanta responded through Nikola Krstovic, who ran onto a pass from Jonathan Rowe and rounded Maignan. However, the striker found himself at too tight an angle and could only hit the side netting.

The visitors suffered another setback when Kolasinac had to leave the pitch with an injury. Youth-team player Relja Obric came on, but his involvement quickly turned costly when he handled a Yunus Musah shot inside the penalty area. VAR identified the offence, and Ramos converted the resulting spot kick, sending Marco Carnesecchi the wrong way.

Milan doubled their advantage through Rabiot, who collected Diego Moreira’s precise pass, cut inside, and drove the ball through Obric’s legs into the bottom corner. The goal continued the French midfielder’s impressive contribution, marking his fourth goal involvement across four consecutive Serie A appearances.

The Rossoneri had another opportunity to extend their lead when Rabiot’s powerful volley struck Thomas Kristensen’s hand, resulting in a second penalty. This time, Carnesecchi guessed correctly and saved Ramos’ effort, but Milan scored from the subsequent corner. Rabiot flicked the ball towards the far post, where Mario Gila headed home from close range for his first Serie A goal since 2024.

Atalanta’s comeback turns Milan’s victory into a thriller

Atalanta finally began to threaten after the hour mark, with Krstovic striking the base of the post from the edge of the area following Gianluca Gaetano’s assist. The warning was quickly followed by a goal as Gaetano collected a lay-off from Krstovic and calmly placed his finish beyond Maignan from a narrow angle.

The visitors gained further momentum when Raoul Bellanova broke down the right flank and delivered a low cross for Krstovic, who swept the ball into the net. Suddenly, Milan’s comfortable three-goal cushion had been reduced to a single goal, and the closing stages became increasingly tense.

Atalanta nearly completed the comeback when Davide Zappacosta found himself one-on-one with Maignan. The Milan goalkeeper rushed off his line and used his legs to block the attempt at the near post, preventing the visitors from drawing level.

Carnesecchi then denied an effort from Ardon Jashari, while Zappacosta fired another shot straight at Maignan. Ramos also had a stoppage-time counterattack thwarted as Milan fought to protect their advantage.

After controlling much of the contest, the Rossoneri had to withstand a late onslaught to secure the 3-2 victory. Rabiot’s influential display had helped establish their lead, but the team’s loss of concentration turned what appeared to be a comfortable afternoon into a nervy finish.

Cristian Chivu lost his voice, so his assistant Aleksandar Kolarov explained that Inter are trying to be “more aggressive” this season, following their 3-1 comeback win away at Bologna. However, that approach has not produced the same results in Europe.

The nerazzurri once again made life difficult for themselves, falling behind in Serie A. At the Dall’Ara stadium it was Tommaso Pobega who put the rossoblù ahead, but Inter responded by finding an equaliser through Marcus Thuram right before half-time. After the break, the substitutions proved decisive: Carlos Augusto and Ange-Yoan Bonny completed the comeback, handing the Milan side a 3-1 victory.

Chivu, left without a voice on the touchline, delegated the media interviews to his assistant Kolarov.

“Our approach today was not that negative, but Bologna had fresher legs than us,” Kolarov told DAZN Italia. “We do not want to use that as an excuse, though: Bologna played a very good first half. We struggled to win second balls and they were more aggressive, but the lads believed in themselves and in the second half we dominated.”

Carlos Augusto, who scored one goal and provided one assist after coming off the bench, was named Serie A Man of the Match.

“Carlos Augusto never gets a training session wrong, he is very important for us and I am happy for him. We did not need this award to know how much he is worth.”

The victory represents a breath of fresh air for Inter, still shaken by the surprising 4-3 home defeat against Club Brugge in the Champions League, which came on Tuesday evening. The nerazzurri remain on zero points after their first two matches of the competition, having also lost 2-1 away against Real Madrid. For this reason, the next fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk, scheduled for Wednesday at San Siro, becomes crucial.

“In the Champions League you need an extra gear, so we want to be more aggressive both in the attacking phase and when we win the ball back,” Kolarov continued.
“It is true that we are encountering some difficulties, but we are aware of our abilities and we have time to recover the points we have lost. We are trying to be more aggressive in Europe compared to last season.”

Inter had been eliminated prematurely from the Champions League last year, in the play-offs against Bodø/Glimt, after reaching two finals within three years.
“We have nothing to prove to anyone, except to ourselves. We want to be more intense, both with and without the ball. In the second half today, in Madrid and in the first 50 minutes against Club Brugge we were intense with the ball at our feet.

“It is not something that can be taken for granted: we have to impose the rhythm of the game starting from the defenders.”

Roma got back to winning form in Serie A by defeating Genoa 2-0, with Santiago Castro and Emanuele Lulli each netting their maiden goals for the club. This outcome brought an end to a streak of two straight league stalemates and provided a reply to Wednesday’s thrilling 4-3 Champions League loss to Real Madrid, where Roma let slip a 3-1 advantage in the closing stages.

Roma altered seven players from their midweek European match, as Donyell Malen was banned after receiving a red card against Como. Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné, Mile Svilar, and Bryan Cristante were additionally sidelined due to injuries.

Roma vs Genoa: opportunities and excitement before the break

The fixture represented a poignant comeback to the Stadio Olimpico for ex-Roma personalities Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarawy, who came with Genoa following their initial Serie A triumph of the campaign over Fiorentina. Genoa were likewise coping with multiple injury issues, while Italy Under-19 international Samuel Wiafe earned his inaugural Serie A start.

El Shaarawy almost handed the away side an early lead, but Pierluigi Gollini denied his attempt with his legs at the near post after nine minutes. Roma hit back via Matias Soulé, whose instant strike from the penalty area boundary was too near the goalkeeper.

Roma nearly broke the deadlock near the thirty-minute point when Leonardo Balerdi headed a Niccolò Pisilli corner against the crossbar. Rodrigo Mora then made Justin Bijlow pull off a solid save with a header, though Santiago Castro was in an offside position when the rebound came.

Genoa also hit the frame before the half-time whistle. El Shaarawy’s instant attempt from the box edge struck the crossbar after a crucial block had stopped Milutin Osmajic, leaving both teams annoyed despite generating encouraging chances.

Santiago Castro nets the opening Roma goal versus Genoa

Roma at last went ahead soon after the interval via an unconventional yet striking conversion from Castro. A corner was headed down among a cluster of players close to the near post, enabling the ex-Bologna forward to swivel and scoop the ball into the far upper corner from roughly seven yards.

The strike was Castro’s inaugural one for Roma and highlighted his creativity in a packed penalty area. Following a tightly fought opening period, the breakthrough handed the home side the edge they had been pursuing.

Emanuele Lulli clinches Roma’s 2-0 triumph in Serie A

Roma extended their advantage through another flash of personal brilliance, this time featuring Soulé and teenage academy graduate Emanuele Lulli. Soulé started his surge within his own half, evaded two tackles, and traded passes with Lorenzo Pellegrini before his shot was diverted by a Genoa defender.

The free ball arrived at Lulli at the back post, and the 19-year-old converted to claim his maiden Serie A goal. His effort confirmed the 2-0 outcome and provided Roma with a second scorer, commemorating a first landmark for the club.

Genoa kept seeking a reply, with Osmajic making Gollini save with a fierce strike. The away side also brought on Robinho Junior, the offspring of ex-Milan and Brazil attacker Robinho, for his Serie A bow, but Roma clung on to secure the win.