Milan closes in on first Serie A title in 11 years

MILAN: AC Milan closed in on its first Serie A title in 11 years on Sunday as goals from Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez earned it a 2-0 win over Atalanta, a victory that kept it two points clear at the top of the standings.

Stefano Pioli’s team looked nervy and devoid of ideas in the first half, failing to create a clear-cut chance. Its quality shone through in the second half, however, as a fine finish from in-form forward Leao (56’) and a superb solo effort from full-back Hernandez (75’) saw Milan home, much to the relief of an expectant San Siro.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan went on to win 3-1 against Cagliari in Sardinia, meaning the title will be decided on the final day (Sunday). Even a draw for Milan at Sassuolo will see the Scudetto return to the red half of the city.

“It is a year that excites me,” Pioli told reporters. “It is not over yet, we must be determined and calm. I am very satisfied, because we played against a strong team that created difficulties for us. We did well in the attacking phase and found solutions. We never lost our clarity and always believed in it, so the victory is a well-deserved reward.”

Sunday’s win was Milan’s fifth League success in a row and the team stretched its unbeaten Serie A run to 15 matches. Substitute Junior Messias supplied a fine pass into Leao, who took a touch before slotting home his 11th League goal of the season in the 56th minute. Hernandez then produced a stunning effort that could be a ‘Goal of the season’ contender. He picked the ball up in his own half 15 minutes from time and bypassed several challenges before drilling into the net to seal a crucial victory in Milan’s final home game. Elsewhere, Napoli made sure it will finish third ahead of Juventus after a 3-0 win over Genoa.

RESULTS: AC Milan 2 (R Leao 56, T Hernandez 75) bt Atalanta 0; Cagliari 1 (C Lykogiannis 54) lost to Inter Milan 3 (M Darmian 25, L Martinez 51 & 84)