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AC Milan signed off 2025 in style as they recorded a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Hellas Verona at San Siro on Sunday afternoon.
It took 45 minutes for Milan to break the deadlock but it was Christian Pulisic who got it, then Christopher Nkunku finally got off the mark in Serie A with a brace inside four second half minutes to seal the win.
With other teams playing later in the round aside from Juventus who won on Saturday night, it was an important statement from the Rossoneri, who have a chance of ending the calendar year top depending how other results go.
Massimiliano Allegri chose to make two changes to the starting line-up from the team that lost to Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana before Christmas, with Luka Modric and Davide Bartesaghi both coming back into the side.
The game settled into a rather predictable early pattern whereby Verona were happy to let Milan have the majority of the ball but were unable to get through the low block. The away side actually looked more threatening on the break, with Bernede surging into the box but ultimately being unable to find anyone with a cut-back.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was on the receiving end of a couple of rough challenges inside the opening 20 minutes, including one where he was taken out by two different players as he attempted to surge towards the Verona box. The referee Michael Fabbri, however, didn’t even give a foul.
Loftus-Cheek was again at the centre of things as the clock hit 20 minutes, bringing down a clearance on the edge of the box and sending a half-volley just wide via a deflection.
Milan looked to have finally breached the Verona defence when Luka Modric clipped a ball down the right side allowing Loftus-Cheek to cut back to Christopher Nkunku, who had the goal gaping a few yards out. However, the feed was slightly in front of him, and he couldn’t quite stretch to get it.
The players were getting noticeably more frustrated with the referee as Christian Pulisic and Adrien Rabiot each got clattered from behind and he didn’t even give a foul, let alone consider a card.
Right on the stroke of half-time, with one minute gone of two added on, Milan took the lead that on the balance of play they probably deserved. It came from a well-worked set-piece routine: Rabiot provided the flick-on at the near post, and Pulisic was waiting at the far stick to volley in from close range.
Less than three minutes into the second half, Milan doubled their lead and it came from the penalty spot. Nkunku was the one who earned it as he got ahead of Nelsson and was pulled back, and Pulisic decided to let the Frenchman take it. He converted it confidently to get his first Serie A goal since arrive, sending the goalkeeper Montipo the wrong way.
It didn’t take Nkunku long to get his second goal either, as he fired in again less than four minutes later. Luka Modric was unlucky not to score himself when a shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the post by Montipo, but it simply sat on the line waiting for Nkunku to arrive and hammer home unopposed.
With 20 minutes left and the game settling into a bit of a lull, Allegri decided to make a couple of changes. Modric came off to a standing ovation, replaced by Ardon Jashari. Loftus-Cheek also came off, with Youssouf Fofana taking his place.
Five minutes later, a further two changes came with Saelemaekers and Pulisic coming off to a warm reception, with Samuele Ricci and Zachary Athekame taking their places.
The final change came with five minutes left and it was Fikayo Tomori who made way, replaced by David Odogu, making his first league appearance since signing in the summer.
Verona thought they had got themselves a consolation goal when Gift Orban fired in from close range following a scramble in Mike Maignan’s six-yard box, yet the flag went up immediately for offside, and the goalkeeper might even have been fouled.
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