Serie A: Atalanta vs Milan Match Recap

Atalanta takes the lead, but Milan stages a stunning comeback to secure a point in a captivating 2-2 tie.

Atalanta extended their impressive winning streak to nine consecutive Serie A victories, thanks to identical goals from Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman that ultimately led to Milan's downfall. La Dea were chasing a club-record ninth straight league win, but with Mateo Retegui rested ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid, De Ketelaere took on the role of center-forward against his former club.

Notable absentees for Atalanta included Juan Cuadrado, Davide Zappacosta, and Gianluca Scamacca, all due to injury. Meanwhile, Milan had crushed Sassuolo 6-1 in the Coppa Italia midweek with a heavily rotated squad, but were still without the services of Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer, and Alessandro Florenzi. Gian Piero Gasperini served the second match of his touchline ban, with Tullio Gritti taking his place on the bench for the hosts.

Milan squandered a gilt-edged opportunity within the opening 15 seconds, as Christian Pulisic unleashed a powerful, angled drive that forced Marco Carnesecchi into a sharp save. The Rossoneri continued to press, and soon after, Ederson showcased his impressive dribbling skills, weaving past three defenders before delivering a pinpoint pull-back. However, Mario Pasalic failed to capitalize, firing over the bar from just six yards out.

Alvaro Morata thought he had given Milan the lead, but his effort was correctly ruled out for offside. Atalanta, however, made no mistake in taking the lead. Marten de Roon's expertly delivered free kick found Charles De Ketelaere at the back post, and the Belgian striker outjumped Theo Hernandez to nod in the opener against his former club. The Milan players were incensed, claiming that De Ketelaere had pushed Hernandez in the process, but the goal stood.

The equalizing goal arrived 10 minutes after Atalanta's opener, as Rafael Leao expertly timed his run to beat the offside trap and latch onto Theo Hernandez's through ball. Leao then sprinted down the left flank before delivering a low, driven cross that Alvaro Morata tapped in with ease.

The match continued to ebb and flow, with Raoul Bellanova testing Mike Maignan's reflexes with a shot directed at the goalkeeper's chest. However, Milan suffered a setback in the 38th minute when Christian Pulisic was forced off due to a calf injury. Atalanta, meanwhile, continued to pose a threat, with Charles De Ketelaere turning Emerson Royal inside out before delivering a cross to the back post. Matteo Ruggeri met the ball with a volley, but unfortunately, it ricocheted off teammate Mario Pasalic from close range.

Pasalic had another opportunity to score when he attempted to control a cross and shoot from 12 yards out. However, Matteo Gabbia made a crucial intervention, throwing himself in the way to block the shot and prevent a potential goal.

Lazar Samardzic made an instant impact after coming off the bench, as he swiftly set up Ademola Lookman on the counter-attack. Lookman's powerful shot was drilled through the legs of Emerson Royal, forcing Mike Maignan into a tricky save.

Maignan was called upon again to deny Lookman, pushing his effort over the crossbar. The resulting corner proved to be the decisive moment, as Sead Kolasinac flicked on Samardzic's set piece, finding Lookman completely unmarked at the back post. The Nigerian international had managed to evade the attention of Emerson Royal, allowing him to head home the goal with ease.

In the dying embers of the match, Atalanta nearly extended their lead to 3-1. Mateo Retegui, the Capocannoniere, found himself one-on-one with Maignan, but the goalkeeper stood firm, denying Retegui's attempt and preserving the two-goal deficit for Milan.