AC Milan humbled at home by Atalanta as Champions League hopes take hit

[p]Winless in their last four league games (D2, L2), Raffaele Palladino’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atalanta/8C9JjMXu/"]Atalanta[/a] travelled to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]Milan[/a] desperate for a positive result.[/p][p]La Dea were fortunate to escape an early effort from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rabiot-adrien/l08EAP2Q/"]Adrien Rabiot[/a], who struck the post from the edge of the box, [b]and the visitors made the most of that reprieve in the seventh minute, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ederson/fqEsbNyA/"]Ederson[/a] pounced on a loose ball inside the area to sweep a clinical finish into the bottom corner for his second league goal of the season.[/b][/p][p]Having broken the deadlock, Atalanta looked to press home their advantage, and a second goal duly arrived on the half-hour mark.[/p][embed guid="8f367262-1fcc-4768-8c5c-06a13b8dee82" url="https://x.com/Atalanta_BC/status/2053556582856687634" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krstovic-nikola/4CvqRml2/"]Nikola Krstovic[/a] showed impressive awareness to lay the ball off to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zappacosta-davide/G6AuiwvH/"]Davide Zappacosta[/a] in the box, and the wing-back held his nerve to slot a composed finish beyond [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maignan-mike/S6gN2QNC/"]Mike Maignan[/a].[/b][/p][p]Faced with a two-goal deficit, the Rossoneri probed for a route back into the contest, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leao-rafael/AqOPWN5s/"]Rafael Leao[/a] was unable to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carnesecchi-marco/8WujtCJF/"]Marco Carnesecchi[/a], who stood firm to thwart the Portuguese forward.[/p][p]Having lost only two of their last 11 top-flight trips to Milan (W4, D5), Atalanta remained in the ascendancy, [b]and Palladino’s men added a third in the 51st minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raspadori-giacomo/GlZEnTQr/"]Giacomo Raspadori[/a] fired an angled strike into the top corner from Ederson’s pass.[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="7d2fee97-59ef-4261-aeea-814aad35d943" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="d21b6f6d-2560-46ce-a4b7-2655bf760b39" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]Determined to avoid further embarrassment, Milan upped the ante with time heading into the final 30 minutes, but Carnesecchi stood up to be counted for the visitors, denying [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nkunku-christopher/8liaG2W0/"]Christopher Nkunku[/a] a first league goal since February.[/p][p]Massimiliano Allegri’s side continued to search for a consolation, as Rabiot powered a low strike wide of the target before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fullkrug-niclas/zBydyE1a/"]Niclas Fullkrug[/a] saw a well-taken finish ruled out for offside.[/p][p][b]Undeterred, Milan finally made their pressure count in the 88th minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ricci-samuele/thdNLRpt/"]Samuele Ricci[/a]’s inviting free-kick was headed into the far corner by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlovic-strahinja/Qm2DVwBO/"]Strahinja Pavlovic[/a]. [/b][/p][p][b]Encouraged by that goal, the hosts pulled another back in stoppage time, as Nkunku converted from the spot after a clumsy foul from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-roon-marten/SUUtwXea/"]Marten de Roon[/a].[/b][/p][p]Despite Milan’s spirited comeback and a last-gasp chance for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gabbia-matteo/Sl6O3rbN/"]Matteo Gabbia[/a], Atalanta ultimately held firm under pressure to secure the three points, earning just their third away league victory in nine matches.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carnesecchi-marco/8WujtCJF/"]Marco Carnesecchi[/a] (Atalanta)[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="4e23d8bc-c62e-4cd2-8276-886a6c2a642a" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="e39f15e0-ddf1-4810-a226-feeecf411938" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ac-milan-8Sa8HInO/atalanta-8C9JjMXu/summary/stats/?mid=n7B4o3KH"]See all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]