Nkunku Double Fires Milan to Commanding Victory
Key Takeaways
- AC Milan cruised to a 3-0 victory over struggling Hellas Verona at San Siro
- Christopher Nkunku netted twice in eight second-half minutes to seal the dominant win
- The Rossoneri maintained second place with 32 points, 20 clear of relegation-threatened Verona
- Milan converted five shots on target while Verona managed just one throughout the contest
Players in this Match
MILAN, ITALY — Second-placed AC Milan secured a commanding 3-0 victory over relegation-battling Hellas Verona at San Siro, extending their advantage over the 18th-placed visitors to 20 points in the Serie A standings. The Rossoneri controlled proceedings with 52% possession and clinical finishing that transformed a tight first half into a comfortable triumph.
The breakthrough arrived in first-half stoppage time when Christian Pulisic pounced from very close range, sweeping the ball into the high centre of the goal. Adrien Rabiot's header from Luka Modric's corner delivery had missed to the left, but the ball fell perfectly for Pulisic to prod home and send Milan into the interval with a deserved lead. The American's instinctive finish rewarded Milan's territorial dominance, which had yielded seven corners to Verona's none in the opening 45 minutes.
Christopher Nkunku then took centre stage immediately after the restart. Just three minutes into the second half, the French forward drew a foul from Victor Nelsson inside the penalty area, and coolly converted the resulting spot-kick with a right-footed finish to the bottom left corner. Five minutes later, Nkunku struck again, this time rifling a right-footed shot from very close range into the centre of the goal to effectively end the contest at 3-0. The brace showcased Nkunku's predatory instincts in the penalty area.
The teams shared possession almost equally at 52%-48%, but Milan's efficiency in the final third proved decisive. The Rossoneri registered 11 shots to Verona's nine, yet the difference lay in accuracy—Milan placed five efforts on target compared to Verona's solitary attempt that troubled Mike Maignan. Verona's frustration manifested in 15 fouls compared to Milan's five, with Al Musrati collecting a yellow card in the 43rd minute for a challenge on Pulisic.
Modric orchestrated proceedings from midfield, his delivery from set pieces causing constant problems for Verona's backline. Fikayo Tomori and Koni De Winter stood firm defensively, with Tomori making a crucial intervention to block Gift Orban's effort in the 72nd minute after the substitute had replaced the ineffective Daniel Mosquera at halftime. Alexis Saelemaekers provided width and energy down the flank, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek's industry in midfield helped Milan control the tempo throughout.
The turning point arrived with Nkunku's penalty conversion just three minutes into the second half. Trailing by a single goal, Verona had harboured hopes of salvaging something from their trip to San Siro, but Nelsson's clumsy challenge extinguished those ambitions. The subsequent quick-fire double from Nkunku transformed a narrow advantage into an unassailable lead, allowing Milan to cruise through the final half-hour with minimal alarm.
Looking ahead, AC Milan will host Cagliari on January 2, while Hellas Verona host Torino on January 4.