André Silva has scored a goal for AC Milan! Assist by Suso.
MILAN HAVE WON THE GAME AT THE DEATH! Suso fires in a cross from the right-hand side with his left foot and it is met in the penalty area by Andre Silva who was left free of markers. The under-pressure Portuguese international then had to just flick the ball past Perin with a simple nod – which he did with calmness and confidence. It is his first Serie A goal of the season, and it will win Milan a rare three points in Genoa!
Suso is awarded the assist, as it was his beautifully weighted cross that found the young striker alone in the penalty area.
90' +2
Lapadula gets free in the area and gets a header onto a Lazovic cross, but the former Milan striker’s dream of scoring against his previous club will have to wait, as the effort was directed well wide of the goal.
90'
The referee indicates there will be an additional four minutes of play for injuries and stoppages.
89'
Milan are now operating with three strikers, as Silva, Cutrone and Borini are all in the final-third of the pitch. They are pouring on the pressure but Genoa are dealing with it well. Suso is getting in behind the Genoa wing-backs and causing damage, although his final passes do leave something to be desired.
87'
Genoa are furious as they believe that Laxalt should have been awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area, but Davide Calabria’s tackle was perfectly timed and makes contact with the ball before the man.
84'
STAT: Genoa have won 13 of a possible 21 points from their last seven meetings with Milan, including winning their last three home meetings.
81'
D. Bessa enters the game and replaces G. Pandev.
Veteran striker Goran Pandev, who has done well holding up play and setting up his teammates will be withdrawn in favour of Daniel Bessa who will complete the final 10 minutes of play.
80'
D. Calabria enters the game and replaces G. Bonaventura.
Giacomo Bonaventura is replaced by Davide Calabria in Milan’s third and final substitution of the match.
Suso stands over the free-kick and tries to curl it into the near corner. The Spaniard gets his execution slightly wrong as the ball curls away from goal and doesn’t force Perrin into a save. It was a good idea however, as there was more than enough room to fit the ball over the wall and into the net.
79'
A. Bertolacci gets yellow.
Suso tries to skip past both Bertolacci and Zukanovic, and succeeds before being taken down by the former, who is shown a yellow card for his misdemeanour. This also gives Milan a free-kick in an extremely dangerous area just outside the box.
78'
Suso takes a corner which is met by Kessie but the Ivory Coast international can’t direct the effort towards goal, and it continues on its trajectory towards the back of the penalty area where Bonaventura gets to it and recycles play back into the Milan midfield.
Minute
Description
75'
G. Lapadula enters the game and replaces A. Galabinov.
Genoa’s second substitution is in the attack, as Andrey Galabinov is removed in favour of former Milan striker Gianluca Lapadula.
74'
S. Oméonga enters the game and replaces L. Rigoni.
Ballardini makes a double substitution, with the first of those being a swap in midfield. Luca Rigoni, who thought he had broken the deadlock earlier in the second half will be replaced by Stephane Omeonga.
72'
Suso sends in a cross that is deflected right to the foot of Kessie. The play is switched from right to left and then back into Bonucci who is stationed at the halfway line. Milan are attacking with control and patience. Suso finally makes a move forward after receiving a pass from Kessie but the Spaniard’s centring pass is met by nobody and the ball rolls harmlessly out. That pass deserved a finish – but once again it was not to be.
70'
Genoa are complaining as they believe their side should have a penalty after a blocked shot in the penalty area appeared to go off the hand of Borini. Upon replaying the action, it is clear that the ball went off of Borini’s head and knee, but did not come into contact with his hand. Another good call by the referee who has been having a very good game.
68'
André Silva enters the game and replaces H. Çalhanoğlu.
Gattuso’s second substitution is also an attacking one, with Andre Silva entering the game in Hakan Calhanoglu’s place. The creative Turkish midfielder has gone close on a couple of opportunities today, but the Milan bench clearly sees the need for a more direct approach.
66'
Bonaventura has another shot at goal after freeing up some space for himself to work but Perin is once again equal to the shot. The Italian goalkeeper in the Genoa net has been very busy this evening, but has so far not put a step wrong.
63'
Suso tries to get free of his marker in the penalty area and fashions enough room to fire in a low shot with his favoured left foot. Perin manages to push the shot clear of danger to the left, where Rodriguez is first to the ball. The Swiss left-back then takes a shot at goal but Perin makes the stop again, this time catching the ball securely.
60'
P. Cutrone enters the game and replaces N. Kalinić.
Gennaro Gattuso makes the game’s first substitution, withdrawing Nikola Kalinic who has been relatively ineffective and sending in Patrick Cutrone.
58'
HOW HAS HE MISSED THAT!? Laxalt sends in a perfect corner and it’s nodded down at the back post and perfectly set up for Zukanovic who is in a central position, free from any markers. Zukanovic has the entire net to aim at with his diving header, but instead directs it wide of Donnarumma’s left-hand side. An absolutely incredible miss shortly after having a goal disallowed!
55'
AND IT HAS BEEN DISALLOWED! The referees have agreed upon reviewing the goal that Rigoni’s run was just a half-step too early, and the midfielder was actually in an offside position! VAR seems to have been used appropriately in this instance, and has ultimately made the right decision. It remains 0-0 with just over a half hour left to play!
53'
Assist Oscar Hiljemark
LUCA RIGONI MAKES IT 1-0 GENOA! Genoa swing in a free-kick from the left, and Hiljemark finds Rigoni in the middle of the crowd and the midfielder nods it into the side of the goal, in a perfect spot as it was just out of the reach of Donnarumma’s outstretched hand. The goal is being checked by VAR but from the replays, it looks like it should stand.
51'
HUGE BLOCK FROM BONUCCI! A cross comes in from the left for Pandev who nods it down perfectly for Laxalt to swing a leg. The Uruguayan obliges and hits a venomous volley that looked to be headed towards goal with requisite dip and swerve, but Bonucci got in the way with just enough time to prevent it from troubling Donnaruma.
49'
Bonucci sends a ball into the feet of Kalinic who plays a delightful one-two pass with Calhanoglu. The return pass from the playmaker was poor however and he was unable to get it past the defender and into Kalinic’s run. It was the right idea just on the edge of the penalty area, but the execution was lacking a little bit of quality.
46'
Pandev runs onto a loose ball just outside the penalty area and hits a first-time effort at Donnarumma but the Italian goalkeeper gets down on his knees to make the catch easily. A good effort by Pandev however, who was quite some distance out.
45'
Bonaventura leads the attack but his shot is blocked and the ball falls to Calhanoglu who volleys it on goal and hits it perilously close to Perin's net - going just slightly over the crossbar. If it was hit with just a bit less pace, it would have really troubled the goalkeeper.
The teams are back out on the pitch and Genoa are ready to get the second half underway!
44'
MILAN HAVE A GOAL NOT GIVEN. Suso sends in a corner-kick which deflects to the back post where Calhanoglu’s head nodded it forward. After some confusion and a bit of a scramble, Bonaventura taps the ball past Perin and into the net. The referee and linesman agree however that Bonaventura was in an offside position as the ball was played to him. A great chance but the home side are let off the hook. It remains 0-0 with only two minutes to go before halftime.
41'
Laxalt gets on the ball once again and successfully body feints past one Milan defender before taking a shot that flies just high and just wide of Donnarumma. Milan attack quickly the other way as Bonaventura marauds through the middle of the park before distributing to Kalinic. The striker takes one touch to set his shot before attempting to curl an effort into the far corner, which he misses by some distance and puts the ball out for a goal-kick.
38'
Pandev spreads the play to Lazovic who then changes the plan completely and sends a cross-field pass to Laxalt. The attacking full-back hits the line and sends in a cross that is met by the head of Romagnoli who puts it out for a corner. The set-piece is taken well and Spolli gets free and nods the ball towards goal but the momentum is too much and the chance goes wide of Donnarumma’s post.
35'
Biglia centres the ball to Kalinic who was waiting just outside the Genoa penalty area. Kalinic then falls after Bertolacci went in and challenged the Milan striker for the ball – and threw his elbow in Kalinic’s face. The free-kick is lined up by Suso but Calhanoglu strikes it with his right foot. The ball goes up and over the wall, but drops comfortably for a Perin catch.
32'
Milan are pressing and probing, retaining the ball in the midfield and spreading it wide looking to move the Genoa team about in hopes of creating an opening. Rodriguez does exploit some space on the left and sends in a high and hanging cross that goes over the heads of the Milan attackers and out for a Genoa throw.
29'
Milan win a corner after Zukanovic clears the danger. Suso’s delivery is a poor one but the ball filters to Calhanoglu who wriggles free and fires a shot on goal, but Perin gets down to make the save comfortably.
26'
Laxalt fires a beautiful pass in the box and travels across the face of goal, catching Donnarumma and the Milan defence completely off-guard! Galabinov rushes in to get a decisive touch on the ball but the Bulgarian times his run poorly and the ball is allowed to exit the box on the other side and go out for a Milan throw. That was brilliant work by Laxalt working against Borini, and really should have been 1-0 Genoa.
23'
Suso fires in a low cross but it was instantly kicked away by Spolli which starts a Genoa counter-attack. Lazovic once again gets free on the Genoa right but Romagnoli does well to create separation between the ball and the winger and Lazovic runs out of room, firing a shot into the side netting.
20'
STAT: Diego Laxalt has taken part in three of Genoa’s last four goals – with two goals and an assist. The wing-back is also tied for Genoa’s highest scorer with three this season.
17'
The ball rolls too far for Calhanoglu to get on the end of, but Spolli’s clearance to Rigoni is given away and Milan regain possession in the midfield. The Rossoneri are applying pressure but ultimately the attack breaks down when the cross to Kessie flies over his head and out for a goal-kick.
13'
Suso does a great job cutting inside and attempting to spray the play out to the left, but a last-minute interception prevents the ball from reaching Rodriguez in the left-back position. The Swiss wing-back has done very well with his deliveries today and has already provided Kalinic several good opportunities to convert.
11'
Milan have settled into the match well after an initial hiccup. They are dictating play and are starting to poke holes in the packed Genoa midfield. Kalinic has already found himself in a number of dangerous positions but has so far failed to take his chances – something he’s been criticised for quite a bit this year.
8'
GREAT SAVE PERIN! Rodriguez crosses the ball on the ground and finds Kalinic alone in the area. The Croatian striker swivels and hits it hard and to the far corner, but Perin shows his reflexes and gets down quickly to make the stop instantaneously. Still 0-0 but that was close to breaking the deadlock.
6'
Bonaventura takes a great hit from just outside the area but the ball sails over the crossbar. The ball is teed up for him from the left and the Italian midfielder runs into the strike but hits the shot too powerfully.
4'
Laxalt swings in a cross but Romagnoli gets in the way of Pandev and wins the aerial duel. Milan then turn defence into attack down the left but Rodriguez’s cross is picked off by Perin before finding its intended target.
3'
Fantastic tackle by Romagnoli to stop Lazovic from running onto a loose ball just in front of the Milan penalty area. The Italian centre-back timed his slide perfectly to knock the ball away from the foot of the Genoa winger who would have been in on goal.
1'
After an impeccably observed tribute to honour the life of Italian international Davide Astori, we are ready for kick-off in Genoa, with Milan getting the match underway!
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of the Serie A match between Genoa and Milan from the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris in Genoa.
Mid-table obscurity is probably the best way to describe Genoa’s place in the Serie A table. Eight points from the relegation zone and 14 points away from rivals Sampdoria and a European place, Genoa are currently one of few teams who have little to fight for as we near the conclusion of the league season.
A run of six consecutive victories without conceding – a stretch dating back to February 2nd - came to an end on Thursday as Milan were defeated 2-0 at the San Siro against Arsenal. The loss to the London club was the first Gennaro Gattuso’s side had experienced since a 2-0 loss to Atalanta in December 2017.
Despite the setback, Milan’s league form has been superb. Four wins and one draw in their last five matches played have rocketed Milan up the table into seventh, with a win today putting them above Sampdoria and into sixth. With a derby match against Inter midweek, Milan could realistically be one point behind their rivals, and two points away from a Champions League place by the end of next week.
It will take something special for Genoa to add to their scoring tally against this stable and confident Milan defence. It took a little bit of time, but there finally seems to be some chemistry between Bonucci and Romagnoli – which affected the rest of the back line. Davide Calabria has done a great job stepping in for the injured Andrea Conti, though it looks likely today that Gattuso will go more attacking, with Fabio Borini at right full-back.
Coming off a 2-0 loss to Bologna away from home, Genoa had previously put together a run of three consecutive wins – including victories over both Lazio and Inter. Genoa rank in the bottom three in terms of goals scored, with 21 in 26 matches. Despite their attacking woes, Davide Ballardini has impressed with his organization of the defence, as Genoa have conceded only 27 times – better than any team outside the top five.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, the team news has been announced! Let’s begin with the home side.
Genoa substitutes: Eugenio Lamanna, Lukas Zima, Luca Rossettini, Francesco Migliore, Pedro Pereira, Gianluca Lapadula, Jawad El Yamiq, Aleandro Rosi, Stephane Omeonga, Daniel Bessa, Iuri Medeiros, Giuseppe Rossi.
Genoa Starting XI (3-5-2): Mattia Perin; Davide Biraschi, Nicolas Spolli, Ervin Zukanovic; Darko Lazovic, Luca Rigoni, Andrea Bertolacci, Oscar Hiljemark, Diego Laxalt; Goran Pandev, Andrey Galabinov.
Milan substitutes: Antonio Donnarumma, Marco Storari, Luca Antonelli, Davide Calabria, Gustavo Gomez, Mateo Musacchio, Cristian Zapata, Manuel Locatelli, Jose Mauri, Riccardo Montolivo, Patrick Cutrone, Andre Silva.
Milan Starting XI (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Ricardo Rodriguez, Alessio Romagnoli, Leonardo Bonucci, Fabio Borini; Giacomo Bonaventura, Lucas Biglia, Franck Yannick Kessie; Hakan Calhanoglu, Nikola Kalinic, Suso.
Davide Ballardini makes three changes from the team he fielded in a 2-0 loss to Bologna on the 24th of February. Luca Rossettini drops to the bench in favour of Davide Biraschi in the back three. Right winger Aleandro Rosi and central midfielder Daniel Bessa are also taken out of the starting lineup with Darko Lazovic and Luca Rigoni taking their places.
Milan make two changes from their last match in the Serie A – a 2-0 win over Roma. Davide Calabria has been playing quite regularly and has earned himself a rest, with Fabio Borini replacing him at right-back. In attack, Patrick Cutrone who played in Milan’s midweek Europa League clash will be rotated, with Nikola Kalinic coming in to replace him.
HALF-TIME: Genoa 0-0 Milan.
It has been a half of no goals, but plenty of chances. Diego Laxalt has looked extremely promising on the Genoa left, exploiting the apparent inexperience of Borini who is playing today in the back four. Despite the service, the home side’s attacking duo have been poor, with both of them unable to turn the excellent wide play into a goal. The Genoa defence has looked shaky at times, but the brilliant goalkeeping of Mattia Perin has saved their blushes.
Both of these sides have been in incredible defensive form of late, so it is no surprise that these two sides are level at half time. Both managers however have a bench stocked with attacking talent, with the likes of Patrick Cutrone and Andre Silva at Gattuso’s disposal, and former Milan striker Gianluca Lapadula and Giuseppe Rossi available for Ballardini. A lot will hinge on substitutions in the latter stages of this match.
Milan have also had a number of opportunities to break the deadlock, and have put the ball in the net already today – a Bonaventura goal which was disallowed for offside. Lazovic exploited the Milan defence early in the match but the away side settled down and began controlling large portions of the match. Bonaventura and Calhanoglu have been especially lethal – putting Perin under considerable pressure a number of times including a last-gasp volley which skimmed the crossbar as it went over.
FULL-TIME: Genoa 0-1 Milan.
What an incredible match with a wild finish. Milan had thought they were a goal up just before half time, but Bonaventura was ruled offside before tapping home a loose rebound following a Suso-taken corner. The referee and linesman agreed that the midfielder was in an irregular position, and the ruling was given swiftly. Genoa’s correctly-disallowed goal took a lot longer to sort out. Luca Rigoni had headed a ball from a free-kick past Donnarumma to give the home side the lead 10 minutes after the interval, but VAR correctly deemed that the Genoa playmaker was also in an offside position.
Both sides played with ferocity and intensity, and despite the 0-0 late in the match, both sides had a number of chances and both sides had opportunities to dominate the passage of play. Laxalt and Lazovic on the Genoa wings were constantly breaking free and sending crosses into the box for their lacklustre strikers. For Milan, Suso was constantly getting in behind the defence and setting up chances, and Giacomo Bonaventura facilitated the game well from a central position, constantly forcing Perin into awkward and difficult saves.
The goal came in the end with less than 10 seconds to play, after a left-footed cross from Suso found Andre Silva’s head and flew in past the diving Mattia Perin. It will be a tough pill to swallow for Davide Ballardini’s side who deserved at least a point on the balance of play, but it will give Milan great confidence going into their Europa League fixture on Thursday.
Genoa’s next match is also a difficult tie, as they head to the Stadio San Paolo to face Napoli in a week’s time. Milan will travel to London to play Arsenal in the second leg of their Europa League fixture before going back home to the San Siro to host Chievo next Sunday.
That is all for our live coverage of the Serie A match between Genoa and Milan from the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris. We hope you enjoyed the game and we look forward to seeing you next time!
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