AC Milan took a big step towards securing a Champions League spot with a hard-fought 2-1 win away against Genoa.
After a first half that was lacking more in quality than in intensity, Milan took command of the game when Christopher Nkunku earned a penalty after a foul by the goalkeeper which he then scored. Later in the half, Zachary Athekame rocketed in a low shot to double the advantage.
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A late goal from Vasquez made it a very nervy finish for the Rossoneri, but they withstood the late pressure to secure perhaps their biggest win of the season, one of the two they required to lock up a top four spot.
Napoli and Roma both took care of business but Juventus lost at home to Fiorentina, which means that Milan jump back into third. Going into the final game a win is still needed to make sure of things, other results permitting.
First half: Scrappy stalemate
Massimiliano Allegri named five changes to the starting XI from the Atalanta loss, hoping to find the right formula. Fikayo Tomori came back into the three-man defence, with Zachary Athekame on the right, Youssouf Fofana and Ardon Jashari in midfield, plus Christopher Nkunku up front.
Barely anything happened in a disjointed opening to the game, with the only real incident of note being Amorim requiring treatment for a nasty blow he suffered very early on, though he was eventually able to continue.
The first chance of the game fell to the home side in the eighth minute, and it came from a clumsy free-kick given away by Fofana on the left. The set-piece flew all the way over to Vitinha on the far side of the box, though he fired just wide of the top corner.
As Allegri bellowed instructions from the sidelines, he saw his side give the ball away time after time trying to go direct into the front two, who are not renowned for their hold up play. This allowed Genoa to dominate the possession an territory, albeit without creating too much.
When they did get on the ball Milan did very little. The only time they half-threatened in the opening 25 minutes was when Nkunku curled in a teasing free-kick that nobody managed to meet, and it landed just wide of the far post. At the other end, Malinovskyi fired a snapshot over.
For a brief moment Milan thought they had got Santiago Gimenez in behind after a sloppy giveaway allowed Nkunku to find the Mexican. However, Marcandalli applied just enough pressure to crowd the Mexican out as was bearing down on goal.
The Rossoneri threatened again seven minutes before the break. A well-worked moved down the left saw Rabiot’s pull-back narrowly evade Nkunku at the far post, then Fofana’s flick-on at the near post from the resulting corner didn’t find anyone on the end of it.
Second half: A gift from the hosts
Early in the second half, Milan were given a golden opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot. A bad backless from Amorim saw Nkunku nip onto it just before the goalkeeper Bijlow, who wiped him out for a clear foul. As he did against Atalanta on Sunday, the Frenchman took on the responsibility from 12 yards and he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to put Milan 1-0 up.
There was a lengthy delay after Genoa won a free-kick about 20 yards out as the home fans threw flares and coins towards the players, including their own. There referee stopped the game until the smoke cleared, ready for Malinovskyi to bend his attempt not far over the bar with Maignan at full stretch.
The game seemed to explode into life after the goal, a dangerous counter-attack from Milan seeing Athekame nearly play Nkunku in perfectly before an intervention. Then, Genoa earned a free-kick in another central dangerous area, though it was whipped over and wide again.
A couple of changes followed from Allegri, with Fofana and Gimenez making way for Samuele Ricci and Niclas Füllkrug in like-for-life changes. With 15 minutes left on the clock, Christian Pulisic replaced the goal scorer Nkunku, and Tomori came off for Koni De Winter.
Milan sat deeper and deeper, inviting Genoa on. Vitinha had a great chance to level things after an in-swinging cross found his run at the far post, yet the Portuguese scuffed his shot into the ground and over. Luka Modric having his hands on his head on the sidelines said it all about the fine margins.
In the 82nd minute, the Rossoneri got the goal that they needed to calm everything down. A long throw into the box saw Füllkrug lay of to Pulisic who in turn touched it back to Athekame. In acres of space on the edge of the box, the Swiss defender found the bottom corner with a powerful and precise strike, making it 2-0.
Of course, in fitting Milan fashion, they did not make things easy for themselves. The Grifone reopened the contest inside the final few minutes through Vasquez, who jabbed in after a melee in the penalty area. De Winter failed to clear and the Mexican bundled it in, halving the deficit.
As Milan attempted to break away in the 10 (ten) minutes added at the end of the 90, Bijlow kept Genoa in it. Firstly he made an awkward save to deny Rabiot’s strike, and then he stuck a leg out to thwart Pulisic one-on-one.
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