Milan re-emerge from the half-time interval a changed team and secure an absolutely crucial victory - beating Atalanta by two goals to nil en-route to their fifth home clean sheet in a row. Pioli’s side started the game evidently nervous, with the weight of the Scudetto race firmly on their shoulders. After a tight 45 minutes that saw few chances, the Rossoneri came alive with outstanding goals from both Leao and Hernandez; the second a sublime solo effort that saw the full-back run three-quarters of the pitch - beating no less than five defenders in the process. Atalanta looked livelier after the introductions of Zapata and Boga but it was too little too late for Gasperini’s side - who failed to beat the imperious Maignan. The win puts Milan five points ahead of Inter with one game left on the calendar, while Atalanta remain eighth.
Milan finish their season away at Sassuolo next Sunday, while Atalanta host Empoli to close the campaign.
That concludes our commentary of the Serie A fixture between Milan and Atalanta! We hope you've enjoyed it!
Cronaca
Formazioni
Statistiche
90'+5'
FULL-TIME: MILAN 2-0 ATALANTA.19:56
90'+3'
Malinovskiy attempts a trademark shot from distance with his left foot but it's sent well above Maignan's crossbar.19:55
90'+2'
Bennacer kicks the ball away following the awarding of a free-kick to Atalanta, which earns the Algeria international a yellow card.19:55
90'+1'
The fourth official indicates four minutes will be added to the end of the 90 for stoppages.19:52
89'
Atalanta have won 12 away Serie A games this term; their most ever in a single top-flight season, while only Milan have more this season (13). However, Atalanta have lost each of their last three away league games when facing a side starting the matchday in the top half of the table (vs Fiorentina, Roma and Sassuolo).19:51
87'
A cynical foul from Malinovskiy on Kalulu sees the Atalanta substitute shown a yellow card - which sees him suspended for La Dea's final game of the year.19:50
86'
Yellow Card Remo Marco Freuler18:23
86'
Nervous moments for Milan as there is a VAR check for a potential Kalulu handball inside the penalty area during an Atalanta counter-attack but the video assistant confirms that it’s nothing more than a corner to the visitors.19:49
84'
Messias drives down the right flank and uses the run of Leao as a decoy before cutting inside and hitting a low, left-footed effort that fails to trouble Musso.19:45
82'
Atalanta have had 20 different scorers in Serie A this season, more than any other side; in Serie A history, only Fiorentina in 2014-15 have had more different players with at least one goal in a single season (21).19:44
80'
Florenzi comes on for the captain, with Calabria given an early rest.19:43
80'
Another change in Atalanta's defence sees Demiral on for Palomino.19:43
79'
Bakayoko is given a rare run-out with Krunic making way.19:42
79'
Scalvini comes on for Hateboer with just over 10 minutes remaining.19:42
77'
Tomori does just enough to get to the ball ahead of Boga but the striker continues with his momentum - clattering through the centre-back. He’ll need a minute to get back to his feet but the former Chelsea defender should be capable of continuing.19:41
75'
Yellow Card Hans Hateboer18:23
75'
Krunic is officially given the assist after winning the ball back and giving it to Hernandez - which sparked the goal!19:40
75'
A SUBLIME GOAL FROM HERNANDEZ GIVES MILAN THE INSURANCE THEY NEEDED! 2-0! It’s an outstanding solo effort from Hernandez; a simply breathtaking run that saw him drive from well inside his own penalty area, slaloming through the midfield before taking it wide inside the opposition’s penalty area to work an angle for a shot. Musso comes off his line to try and block the full-back but it’s too late as the France international coolly tucks a shot into the far corner!
Tomori tries to thread the needle with pass through the heart of midfield but the referee does well to close down the centre-back, unwittingly blocking his shot and forcing Milan to restart play with a free-kick.19:37
72'
CLOSE! Zapata rises above Kalulu and Kessie to get onto Malinovskiy’s accurate corner but the striker is unable to direct his header towards goal!19:34
70'
Boga is on for Pessia with 20 minutes left as Gasperini continues to shuffle his pack.19:32
69'
Malinovskiy’s corner from the left is an outswinger that finds the heel of Hateboer at the near post but the wing-back’s flick to the far post fails to find a team-mate as Milan are allowed to restart play from a throw-in.19:31
67'
Kessie charges through the back of Pessina immediately after the restart of the match - which sees him awarded a yellow card.19:29
66'
Kessie and Freuler collide in midfield - which sends both players to the turf in a bit of bother. They should be capable of seeing the game out though it looks a painful one.19:29
64'
Calabria does well to close down Atalanta’s passing triangle on the wing, edging ahead of Pessina before outmuscling him to win a free-kick near his own goal.19:26
63'
Looking to shore up the midfield, Pioli makes a change with Bennacer replacing Tonali.19:25
62'
Nervous moments for Milan as Malinovskiy slips a lovely pass into the penalty area for Zapata, who moves his feet quickly enough to send Hernandez sliding in. The Colombia international works it to his right boot and leans back before firing a close-range effort that sails over the crossbar.19:24
60'
Leao’s 11th goal in Serie A could not be much bigger, with his strike giving the Rossoneri the advantage just before the hour. A potential three points would ensure Milan head into the final day of the season ahead of cross-town rivals Inter by at least two points - regardless of how the Nerazzurri fare later today against Cagliari.19:23
58'
Gasperini is furious in his technical area, expressing his mind to both the referee and the fourth official in the aftermath of Milan’s goal. He’s claiming there should have been a free-kick for Pessina prior to the counter-attack but the referee is not convinced as the strike is allowed to stand.19:22
56'
Only on the pitch for a minute, Messias found himself in the right place at the right time to deliver a wonderful assist for Leao's goal.19:21
56'
MILAN FIND THE BREAKTHROUGH! 1-0! Pessina loses possession of the ball to Kalulu on the edge of Milan’s penalty area, which sparks a furious Rossoneri counter-attack. It’s lobbed over the top of the defence by Messias for Leao, who beats his man for pace before tucking the ball in between the legs of Musso!
Gasperini initiates a straight swap at striker, with Muriel off for Zapata.19:17
55'
Messias comes on for Saelemaekers as Pioli begins to make changes to his XI.19:16
54'
Giroud makes way after 55 minutes with Rebic on in his place.04:28
54'
Hernandez takes the free-kick directly towards goal but can only curl his effort around the near post and into the side netting.19:16
53'
Koopmeiners is shown a yellow card after using two hands to pull back Hernandez, who had gone on a trademark driving run through midfield. Milan are also awarded a free-kick 10 yards outside the penalty area. Can they finally beat Musso?19:15
53'
Yellow Card Teun Koopmeiners18:13
51'
The ensuing corner is headed away by Palomino but Leao is surprised to learn it’s an Atalanta throw-in on the other side.19:13
50'
Tonali plays a lovely one-two pass with Leao before taking the ball wide to the right and firing in a cross that’s blocked behind for a corner by Djimsiti.19:13
48'
Muriel’s corner from the left is caught easily by Maignan on the six-yard line before a quickly taken throw looks to spark a Milan counter-attack.19:10
46'
Milan get the match restarted from the kick-off!19:07
Milan will look to keep things tight for the first 15 minutes of the second half, before opening up in search of a goal that may just win them the Scudetto. Messias is always an option on the right wing to replace Saelemaekers, while Krunic’s day could come to an end with Diaz or Rebic replacing him. A stretched match should benefit the visitors as well, with Maehle’s fresh legs and the long-range ability of Malinovskiy capable of changing a match in a matter of seconds.18:49
A nip and tuck first 45 minutes at San Siro comes to a close with neither side able to take the lead, despite direct attacking play from both Milan and Atalanta. The Rossoneri started the match looking to control the tempo of the fixture and prevent La Dea from stretching the game from the outset. Leao and Giroud have failed to really make their impact felt, while Hernandez is more involved in the defensive phases of play than the attack. The visitors saw their best opportunity of the half saved when Muriel’s curled effort was caught impressively by Maignan - who was infrequently troubled despite Atalanta’s intent.18:49
45'+3'
HALF-TIME: MILAN 0-0 ATALANTA.18:49
45'+1'
The fourth official indicates two minutes will be added to the end of the first half for stoppages.18:48
44'
Unable to hold his tongue, Giroud is shown a yellow card for dissent in the aftermath of the unawarded penalty.18:47
43'
Giroud is appealing for a penalty after he’s sent over inside the penalty area by a shove from Djimsiti. The defender didn’t look to play the ball but it’s uncertain whether or not there was enough contact to send the striker to ground. The referee is adamant it should not be a penalty - much to the fury of the France international striker.18:46
41'
Milan have won their last two Serie A meetings against Atalanta, after winning only once in their previous 11 (D6 L4); the last time that Rossoneri won three consecutive games against Atalanta in the top-flight under the same manager was between 1993 and 1996 under Fabio Capello.18:43
39'
Zappacosta cuts inside and hurdles the outstretched leg of Saelemaekers before firing an effort to the far post that misses the target by some distance.18:40
37'
Hernandez lifts a cross into the penalty area looking for Giroud but it’s easily cleared away by Palomino. The hosts certainly have taken the impetus of the match but they’ll need to be more creative if they wish to beat this organised Atalanta defence.18:39
35'
A good period of pressure from Milan comes to an end after Saelemaekers’ low shot from 20 yards out is smothered by Musso.18:37
33'
Calabria is down with his face in the turf holding his back after a duel in midfield with Freuler. The right-back and Milan captain has had a rough go of it so far in this match - though hopefully he’ll be able to carry on despite the knock.18:35
32'
GREAT SAVE! Muriel is allowed to step towards the edge of the 18-yard box before unleashing a curling effort that forces Maignan into a full-stretch dive. The goalkeeper not only manages to parry the dangerous effort but catches it cleanly - preventing a rebound!18:33
30'
Zappacosta breaks free down the wing after again beating Calabria but Kalulu’s instinctive defending closes down the angle before Tomori’s clearance ricochets off Koopmeiners and behind for a goal-kick.18:32
28'
Muriel is still on the pitch attempting to run off the earlier injury and he’s tasked with taking an Atalanta corner - which results in an audacious Palomino overhead volley that’s caught comfortably by Maignan.18:30
27'
Maignan gets the ball in his hands and immediately launches a powerful drop-kick looking for the run of Leao. The goalkeeper does have an assist already this year via that method but this time he’s unable to link up with his team-mate.18:29
25'
Krunic goes down right in front of the referee after receiving a kicking from Freuler - which gives Milan a free-kick deep in midfield.18:27
23'
Play is stopped for Muriel, who has gone down after attempting to take on both Kalulu and Calabria inside the penalty area. There was no contact between the defenders and the striker, with the Colombia international almost immediately signalling the need for attention.18:25
21'
Leao picks up possession of the ball on the left edge of the penalty area and dribbles forward with close control before shaping his body and curling an effort to the far post. It’s a good attempt but without enough power it was never likely to beat Musso.18:23
19'
Freuler cuts inside and hooks a right-footed cross towards the back post for Hateboer but it’s hit with far too much power as it flies behind for a goal-kick.18:22
18'
Krunic is again tasked with taking the set-piece but Leao is unable to beat his man to the ball as it rolls out for a throw-in to the hosts.18:19
16'
Freuler clips the heel of Calabria on the right wing, again giving Milan a free-kick on the flank near the touchline.18:18
15'
Krunic’s delivery into the penalty area fails to find the head of Giroud, with Palomino beating the striker to the ball before it’s kept in play expertly by Djimsiti.18:16
14'
Hateboer goes sliding through Leao, failing to make contact with the ball and instead hooking the leg of the Portugal international. It’s a free-kick for Milan on the left wing with Krunic standing over it.18:15
12'
Milan are looking to hold onto possession, moving it from right to left in their own half in order to calm the nerves and force their opponents to chase. With just under 15 minutes gone it’s been an even contest - with both sides doing well in the build-up.18:15
10'
Djimsiti plays a lovely ball into the channel for Zappacosta, who beats Calabria for pace before attempting to dance around the backtracking Saelemaekers. The wing-back looks to slip a pass into the near post but it’s put wide of the post for a goal-kick.18:13
8'
Tonali takes Milan’s corner to the near post looking for Giroud but it’s nodded away comfortably by Djimsiti.18:10
6'
A bit of a strange situation inside Milan’s half, with Maignan kicking the ball out of play in order to receive a new, more fully pumped one. Hernandez however handles the ball before it goes out of play officially - forcing the referee into awarding Atalanta a free-kick just outside Maignan’s penalty area. Sportingly however, Pasalic takes the set-piece quickly and returns it to the goalkeeper.18:46
4'
A sloppy pass into midfield by Calabria turns the ball over to Koopmeiners, who is given both time and space in the centre-circle. Quick to make amends though, the Milan captain fights for an aerial ball and wins a free-kick from the overzealous Pessina.18:06
2'
Looking to get on the front foot immediately, De Roon launches a long pass over the top of the midfield for Hateboer. The wing-back looks to track down the ball well but Hernandez nips ahead and wins both the ball and a free-kick for his efforts.18:03
1'
Atalanta get the match underway from the kick-off!18:02
Atalanta make two changes to the line-up that beat Spezia 3-1 last time out. Hateboer replaces Maehle at left wing-back while Pessina is preferred to Malinovskiy in attack. 17:46
Milan name an unchanged XI from the side that came back to beat Hellas Verona 3-1. Maignan starts in goal behind a back four of Hernandez, Tomori, Kalulu and Calabria. Kessie and Tonali sit ahead of the defence while the trio of Leao, Krunic and Saelemaekers look to supply Giroud.17:45
ATALANTA SUBS: Duvan Zapata, Valentin Mihaila, Francesco Rossi, Marco Sportiello, Aleksey Miranchuk, Joakim Maehle, Merih Demiral, Jeremie Boga, Ruslan Malinovskiy, Giorgio Scalvini.17:44
ATALANTA XI (3-4-2-1): Juan Musso; Marten De Roon, Jose Palomino, Berat Djimsiti; Hans Hateboer, Teun Koopmeiners, Remo Freuler, Davide Zappacosta; Matteo Pessina, Mario Pasalic; Luis Muriel.17:44
MILAN SUBS: Ciprian Tatarusanu, Antonio Mirante, Fode Ballo-Toure, Alessandro Florenzi, Alessio Romagnoli, Ismael Bennacer, Brahim Diaz, Junior Messias, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ante Rebic, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Matteo Gabbia.17:44
MILAN XI (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, Pierre Kalulu, Davide Calabria; Franck Kessie, Sandro Tonali; Rafael Leao, Rade Krunic, Alexis Saelemaekers; Olivier Giroud.17:44
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how the two sides are lining up - starting with our hosts!17:44
Roma’s draw with already relegated Venezia yesterday was just the result Atalanta needed to buoy their spirits, with the Europa League still a possibility for La Dea. Three points back of Lazio in fifth, eighth-place Atalanta still have a real shot at securing European qualification - even if their dream of Champions League football ended some time ago.17:38
Milan lead rivals Inter in the race for the Scudetto by just two points with two fixtures remaining. The Rossoneri can guarantee themselves top spot heading into the final day with a win over Atalanta; who they’ve beaten in their last two games after going winless in their previous three. The title tussle could also come to an end today, should the Rossoneri manage at least a point, combined with an Inter loss to Cagliari later this evening.17:33
Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Serie A fixture between Milan and Atalanta!17:31
Dove si gioca la partita:
Stadio: Giuseppe Meazza Città: Milano Capienza: 80074 spettatori17:31
Milan - Atalanta is a match of 37 day of the season Serie A 2021/2022. The match will be 15 may at 18:30 in the stadium Giuseppe Meazza in Milano. Referee of Milan - Atalanta will be Daniele Orsato with the help of Fabiano Preti e Alessandro Giallatini. At VAR there will be Massimiliano Irrati.
Currently Milan is 1° in the standings with 83 points (thanks of 25 wins, 8 draws and 4 defeats); while Atalanta is 8° in the standings with 59 points (thanks of 16 wins, 11 pareggi and 10 sconfitte). Milan scored 66 goals and conceded 31; Atalanta scored 65 goals and conceded 47. The first leg Atalanta - Milan was played on 3 october 2021 and it ended on a 2-3 score.
At home Milan scored 40 points (12 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses). Away Atalanta scored 39 points (12 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses). Milan in the last three matches of the season challenged Fiorentina, Verona and Atalant obtaining 9 points thanks to 3 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses. Atalanta in the last three matches of the season challenged Torino, Salernitana and Spezi obtaining 5 points thanks to 1 win, 2 draws and 0 losses. In the last match Milan was against Atalanta winning 2-0 while Atalanta was against Spezia winning 1-3. The best scorer of the team coached by Stefano Pioli is Rafael Leão with 11 goals while the best scorer of the team coached by Gian Piero Gasperini is Mario Pasalic with 13 goals.
Milan and Atalanta competed 121 times in the league. In the previous matches Milan won 53 times, Atalanta won 25 times while the number of draw was 43.
These are the statistics of the two teams in the matches played in the season:
Where to see Milan-Atalanta You can see the live match Milan-Atalanta here on Virgilio Sport starting 18:30 CET of 15 may. Discover who will broadcast live Milan - Atalanta between Sky and Dazn.
