Christian Pulisic had a goal and an assist and Santiago Gimenez scored twice to power AC Milan to a crucial 3-1 home win over Bologna on Friday and keep alive its hopes of European soccer next season.
The result lifted Milan to eighth on 60 points, three behind Juventus in fourth, who will face sixth-placed Lazio, also on 63 points, on Saturday. Bologna sit seventh with 62 points. The top four will go into the Champions League and the fifth- and sixth-placed teams qualify for the Europa League and Conference League, respectively.
The match also acted as a dress rehearsal for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final, where the two sides will face off once more at the iconic Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
With the win, Milan have earned 22 points from losing positions this season — only Atlético Madrid have a higher total, with 23, across the big five European leagues.
“From tomorrow, we will start preparing for the Coppa Italia. We have to learn from what we did and did not do, as there were negatives and positives tonight,” Milan head coach Sergio Concecaio told Sky Sport Italia.
“I expect differences to both teams, but this is a final, sometimes the side that doesn’t play the best football ends up winning,” he added.
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Milan were dealt an early scare when defender Fikayo Tomori took a nasty knock in the opening minutes, crashing head-first into the back of a Bologna player. The English defender looked visibly dazed and was forced off shortly after, seemingly struggling with a potential head injury.
The hosts had the momentum in the first half, with both Pulisic and Luka Jovic carving out chances, but they could not find the breakthrough. Bologna remained dangerous on the counter, yet the sides went into the break goalless.
Riccardo Orsolini took charge four minutes after the break, cutting in from the right and drilling a low shot into the corner to put Bologna in front.
However, Gimenez equalised in the 73rd minute with a cool finish after Pulisic set him up inside the box.
The Argentina-born Mexican international had a second goal disallowed two minutes later but another goal seemed inevitable as Milan pushed forward. It came four minutes later and again Pulisic was involved.
Joao Felix’s 79th-minute shot was blocked but fell perfectly for the American and he coolly slotted the ball home from 12 metres out.
Gimenez capped a standout performance in stoppage time when he made space for himself inside the box and scored his second and Milan’s third.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.