AC MILAN BEAT WOLFSBERGER IN CONVINCING FASHION

It was a convincing and winning performance from AC Milan today. At the Wörthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, Coach Pioli’s men comfortably beat Austrian side Wolfsberger 5-0, playing some excellent, fluid football in the process. After the difficult test against ZTE in Hungary, the Rossoneri responded emphatically this evening, with Leão and Rebić scoring in the first half and Messias, Adli and Gabbia bagging after the break. There were many encouraging signs, starting from Adli, who is increasingly getting involved in the team’s attacking moves. On the left flank, Theo and Leão already look up to speed and were too hot to handle on several occasions, while the defence also put in a solid display, allowing the Rossoneri to finish the match with a clean sheet.

Today’s friendly brought the team’s brief training camp in Austria to an end, with the group now set to return to Italy. Tomorrow, the players will be granted a day off. After resuming training at Milanello, they’ll put in the hard work for two days before taking to the pitch against Olympique Marseille at 18:00 CEST on Sunday at the Vélodrome in Marseille.

CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM WOLFSBERGER v AC MILAN

HOW THE MATCH UNFOLDED
Right from the get-go, the Rossoneri showed that they wanted to control the game as they moved well and kept hold of the ball. After two moves that ended with the offside flag being raised, Adli threatened on the 21-minute mark: after combining with Calabria, the Frenchman couldn’t quite get the ball fully under control under pressure from Lochoshvili, allowing the goalkeeper to collect. Leão then had a chance but saw his effort flash wide of the far post (25’). The Diavolo continued to increase the pressure and, after Theo had lashed over with his left foot, had another opportunity in the 37th minute, when Leão’s shot hit a defender and went narrowly wide for a corner. The opening goal came after 39 minutes: Calabria played an inch-perfect ball forward for Rafa, who brilliantly dinked it over Gütlbauer. Two minutes later, the Rossoneri doubled their advantage through Rebić, who converted a low cross from Adli.

Messias came on for Leão at half-time and made an immediate impact, bagging AC Milan’s third from Theo’s precise assist. On the hour mark, Yacine Adli netted his first Rossoneri goal after Saelemaekers had seen his shot cleared off the line: 4-0. Pioli made eight changes a minute later, and two substitutes then combined for the team’s fifth after 65 minutes, with Matteo Gabbia heading home Ballo-Touré’s cross. In the closing stages, Messias often caused the Wolfsberger rearguard problems but a sixth goal wasn’t forthcoming. It finished 5-0.

MATCH DETAILS

WOLFSBERGER 0-5 AC MILAN

WOLFSBERGER (3-4-1-2): Gütlbauer; Lochoshvili, Baumgartner (62' Piesinger), Novak (62' Schifferl); Veratschnig (46' Anzolin), Omic (62' Taferner), Leitgeb (46' Kerschbaumer), Scherzer; Boakye; Vizinger (62' Müller), Vergos (46' Röcher). Subs.: Bonmann, Skubl; Gugganig, Jasic; Ballo; Baribo, Tauchhammer. Coach: Dutt.

AC MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan (16'st Mirante); Calabria (16'st Florenzi), Kalulu (32'st Coubis), Tomori (16'st Gabbia), Hernández (16'st Ballo-Touré); Bennacer (16'st Bakayoko), Krunić (16'st Tonali); Saelemaekers (32'st Gala), Adli (16'st Díaz), Leão (1'st Messias); Rebić (16'st Lazetić). Subs.: Tătăruşanu; Brescianini. Coach: Pioli.

Referee: Josef Spurny (AUT).
Goals: 39' Leão (M), 41' Rebić (M), 57' Messias (M), 60' Adli (M), 65' Gabbia (M)
Booked: 8' Veratschnig (W). 

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