AC Milan 0-3 Atalanta: Hosts defeated for the second time at San Siro in 2021
AC Milan 0-3 Atalanta: Defeated hosts for second time at San Siro in 2021, but remain top as visitors advance to the top four of Serie A with impressive wins
- AC Milan are still at the top of Serie A despite an emphatic victory for Atalanta in the San Siro
- Cristian Romero put Atalanta ahead with a header before Josip Ilicic made it 2-0
- Duvan Zapata finished the score as the hosts had only two shots on target
Atalanta gave AC Milan its second league defeat of the season with a 3-0 win over San Siro on Saturday, but Stefano Pioli’s side was still crowned the Serie A winter champions.
A header from Cristian Romero put the visitors ahead at half time, before a penalty by Josip Ilicic and a strike by Duvan Zapata gave Bergamo a dominant victory.
Atalanta had the chances of winning by an even bigger margin as Milan put in one of his worst performances of the season.
The home team failed to shoot at goal until debutant Mario Mandzukic made a good save from Pierluigi Gollini in the 71st minute with his first touch after coming off the bench.
Milan nonetheless claims the title of winter champions as they top the standings mid-season with 43 points, two ahead of Inter Milan after their 0-0 draw against Udinese.
Duvan Zapata celebrates after winning the victory for Atalanta in the San Siro at 77 minutes
Cristian Romero put the visitors ahead with a stooping header from Robin Gosens’ delivery
Zlatan Ibrahimovic struggled to influence the proceedings when the hosts showed a below par
Josip Ilicic converted from the spot after being knocked down by AC Milan’s Franck Kessie
Debutant Mario Mandzukic almost scored just after his arrival as a free agent
Stefano Pioli’s men are at the top of Serie A halfway through the game, despite a frustrating afternoon
Atalanta reached the top four with 36 points and returned to form in style after back-to-back draws against Genoa and Udinese.
Visiting boss Gian Piero Gasperini told Sky Sports Italia after the game: ‘Ilicic had a great game, although there were some situations where he is able to do better. Everyone had a great game.
‘This is one of our best performances since I’ve been here. We achieved it against the Serie A leaders, the Winter champions, but we were superior in every way tonight and that is hugely satisfying.
‘After the game with Liverpool (in the Champions League), which was terrible with five goals at home, we learned and made the changes that were needed.
“We put a lot more pressure on the opponents, so we can protect the defense, and we have been doing that for several weeks now.”
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