AC MILAN PRIMAVERA RECORD THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY

For the first time this season, AC Milan Primavera have recorded three consecutive victories. At Vismara today, Coach Giunti’s side beat Bologna 4-2 to keep themselves firmly in the playoff hunt: the Rossoneri sit one point behind sixth-place Atalanta. This afternoon, both Robotti and Capone found the net for the first time this season, with the latter bagging a brilliant brace to make a long-awaited return to the scoresheet. Meanwhile, El Hilali scored for the seventh time this campaign.

In front of Paolo Maldini, Frederic Massara and Maurizio Ganz, AC Milan displayed plenty of character against a tough side who handed the Rossoneri one of their biggest defeats of the season in the reverse fixture. It was a different story at Vismara today, with Coach Giunti’s side continuing their excellent recent progress and making it six successive matches without defeat. The Rossoneri thus have the wind in their sails as they start to look ahead to their next match, which will see them take on Inter in a midweek Derby showdown at 19:00 CEST on Wednesday 26 May.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM AC MILAN V BOLOGNA

REPORT
Coach Giunti made two changes to the side that started in last week’s victory in Ferrara, with Brambilla and Frigerio both selected from the first minute. After a balanced start, the Rossoneri began to assert control and create chances. Frigerio wasn’t quite able to force the ball over the line in the tenth minute, while Capone came close four minutes later. After 18 minutes, Rocchi threatened for Bologna on the counter – the only real scare of note in the opening stages. In the 28th minute, El Hilali struck the woodwork with the goalkeeper completely beaten, but it seemed like a Rossoneri goal was on the horizon. And indeed, one duly arrived just before half-time: after being picked out by Olzer, El Hilali fired home with a right-footed effort from inside the box to give the Diavolo the lead. Two minutes later, Robotti’s long-range strike took a slight deflection and ended in the net to double AC Milan’s advantage.

The second half began at a lower tempo, even if Oddi made a great intervention to stop Viviani pulling one back in the 47th minute. The Rossoneri continued to put moves together and made it 3-0 after 57 minutes, when Capone finished off El Hilali’s assist. The latter almost added a fourth in the 66th minute, but it was the away side who next found the net through Farinelli with 69 minutes on the clock. Giunti’s side responded vehemently: in the 72nd minute, Capone bagged his second of the game, shooting past Molla with his right foot after receiving the ball from Roback. The visitors didn’t give up, however, and once again reduced the arrears through a Ruffo Luci penalty after Coubis had been penalised for handball. Nevertheless, the Rossoneri didn’t allow the opposition goal to affect them and came close to scoring a fifth late on, first on the counter through Roback and then through a fine left-footed shot from Saco. It finished 4-2, AC Milan’s third consecutive win.

QUOTES
"In the past few games, we’ve managed things well after making substitutions. Today, we didn’t do quite as well in this respect. Thinking that we’d already won, we allowed ourselves to relax a bit too much. For 70 minutes, we dominated the game, but the closing stages need to serve as a lesson to grow. In the next two matches against Inter and Sampdoria, we can’t allow our concentration levels to drop,” said Federico Giunti after the game. The Coach continued: “We’re doing pretty well, I’ve got almost the entire squad at my disposal. I’m witnessing a change of pace compared to the first half of the campaign, and I’m very happy about this. Andrea [Capone, ed.] has had a physical issue for months, but fortunately he’s managed to get over it. Those who have played have always made a contribution, and we’ve never been lacking from a technical point of view.”

“It’s been a very complicated season for me: I was out for four months due to tendon inflammation. I’m now feeling good, and scoring these two goals feels like vindication,” said Andrea Capone. “They’re two goals that have arrived at the right time. The Derby means a lot to us, especially after the result in the reverse fixture – one which hurt us a lot. We’re fired up and are heading into it on the back of three consecutive wins. We’ll go for it on Wednesday.”

MATCH DETAILS

AC MILAN 4-2 BOLOGNA

AC MILAN (4-3-2-1): Jungdal; Coubis, Michelis, Obaretin, Oddi; Frigerio (46' Di Gesù), Brambilla (64' Mionić), Robotti (87' Filì); Olzer (64' Roback), Capone (74' Saco); El Hilali. Subs.: Moleri, Desplanches; Kerkez, Cretti, Bright, Nasti, Mionić, Roback, N'Gbesso. Coach: Giunti.

BOLOGNA (3-5-2): Molla; Tosi (46' Pagliuca), Milani, Motolese (64' Annan); Arnofoli, Viviani (64' Grieco), Farinelli (85' Cossalter), Roma (46' Ruffo Luci), Montebugnoli; Rabbi, Rocchi. Subs.: Prisco, Cavina, Maresca, Paananen, Pietrelli, Di Dio, Carrettucci. Coach: Magnani.

Referee: Fontani from Siena.
Goals: 43' El Hilali (M), 45' Robotti (M), 57' and 72' Capone (M), 69' Farinelli (B), 75' pen. Ruffo Luci (B).
Booked: 39' Obaretin (M), 50' Motolese (B), 50' Milani (B), 80' Annan (B). 

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