Serie A Title wait nearly over for Milan after 2-0 win over Atalanta

The Rossoneri could even have clinched the title on Sunday but defending champion and fierce rival Inter Milan won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Cagliari to keep its fading title hopes alive

football
Photo: Shutterstock
AP Milan
4 min read Last Updated : May 16 2022 | 11:34 AM IST

AC Milan's lengthy wait for the Italian league title will last another week at least.

Second-half goals from Rafael Leo and Theo Hernndez saw Milan beat Atalanta 2-0 on Sunday and it now only needs one point from its final match to secure its first Serie A title since 2011.

The Rossoneri could even have clinched the title on Sunday but defending champion and fierce rival Inter Milan won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Cagliari to keep its fading title hopes alive.

Milan was two points ahead of Inter and has the better head-to-head record, which is the first tiebreaker in Serie A. Stefano Pioli's Milan plays at Sassuolo in the final round next weekend, and Inter hosts Sampdoria.

There was a heady atmosphere at San Siro, with Milan fans knowing their team is on the brink of ending the 11-year wait.

However, Atalanta managed to frustrate Milan and almost took the lead in the 31st minute but Rossoneri goalkeeper Mike Maignan pulled off a good save to keep out Luis Muriel's effort.

Milan upped the tempo in the second half and fans were on their feet nine minutes after the restart as they thought Hernndez's free kick had gone in but it landed on the outside of the side netting.

They only had to wait two minutes, however, before Leo used his pace to run onto a ball over the top from Junior Messias who had only just come on and drill it into the bottom left corner in the 56th.

And Milan all but sealed the match 15 minutes from time with a stunning goal from Hernndez, who mazed his way from the edge of his area all the way into the opponents' area before firing into the bottom right corner.

NOT OVER YET

Two more goals from star striker Lautaro Martnez kept alive second-place Inter's hopes of retaining the Italian league title.

Martnez's goals came in the second half as Inter faced a stern test in Cagliari, which remained two points from safety.

Inter thought it had taken an early lead when Milan kriniar's first attempt hit the left post before he bundled in the rebound. However, a video review ruled it out for handball from the Inter defender.

The Nerazzurri did take the lead in the 25th when Matteo Darmian outleaped his marker for a looping header on a splendid cross from Ivan Periic to the back post.

Inter almost doubled its advantage on the stroke of halftime but Martnez's first effort came off the post and Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno tipped his second attempt over the bar.

Martnez got his goal six minutes after the break as he sprung the offside trap to run onto a long ball and held off his defender before firing into the far bottom corner.

But Cagliari pulled one back three minutes later with a fierce effort from Charalampos Lykogiannis that took a slight deflection off kriniar.

However, Martnez sealed the result with his second of the match and 25th of the season.

EMOTIONAL FAREWELL

Lorenzo Insigne bid farewell to Napoli and netted a penalty in a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Genoa.

It was the final home game for Insigne, who is leaving Napoli at the end of the season after 15 years to join Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, and he gave an emotional speech to the fans before kickoff.

Insigne originally fired his spot kick onto the post with Giovanni Di Lorenzo netting the rebound. However, it was ordered to be retaken due to encroachment and Insigne thumped his second attempt into the top corner.

The 30-year-old Insigne was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the final minutes and did a lap of honor after full time.

Earlier, Sassuolo won 3-1 at Bologna.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :AC MilanfootballSerie A

First Published: May 16 2022 | 11:34 AM IST

Next Story