AC Milan 3‑2 Atalanta: Gila winner proves decisive as hosts withstand comeback
AC Milan held off Atalanta's comeback to win 3-2 after Gonçalo Ramos, Adrien Rabiot and Mario Gila established a three-goal lead. Gianluca Gaetano and Nikola…
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Mario Gila's 57th-minute goal gave AC Milan a three-goal cushion, yet they needed all of it to beat Atalanta 3-2 and preserve their perfect home league record. Gianluca Gaetano and Nikola Krstović brought the visitors within one goal after Gonçalo Ramos, Adrien Rabiot and Gila had put Milan 3-0 ahead.
Il Milan Fa Tre Su Tre In Casa! | MILAN-ATALANTA | HIGHLIGHTS | SERIE A ENILIVE 2026/27
Ramos opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 24th minute. Atalanta had already made an early change, with Relja Obrić replacing Sead Kolašinac after 20 minutes, before the hosts took the lead.
Rabiot doubled the advantage in the 43rd minute, converting from Diego Moreira's assist to send Milan into half-time 2-0 up. Two minutes earlier, the midfielder had been booked for arguing; his next contribution was a goal that left Atalanta facing a two-goal deficit at the interval.
The decisive passage arrived 12 minutes into the second half. Milan were awarded another penalty following a VAR review for handball, but Marco Carnesecchi saved Ramos's attempt. The reprieve lasted only until the resulting corner, when Gila headed in, with Rabiot supplying the assist.
Rabiot therefore had a direct hand in two of Milan's three goals, scoring the second and creating the third. Gila's finish ultimately separated the teams, although Atalanta's response changed the demands of the final half-hour.
The visitors introduced Nicola Zalewski and Gaetano in the 59th minute, replacing Jonathan Rowe and Mario Pašalić. Seven minutes later, the two substitutes combined to give Atalanta a route back into the match.
Krstović had struck a post in the 63rd minute before Zalewski found Gaetano inside the penalty area in the 66th. Gaetano beat Mike Maignan with a left-footed finish for his first Atalanta goal, reducing the deficit to 3-1.
Atalanta then cut the gap again in the 81st minute. Raoul Bellanova supplied Krstović, whose goal brought the score to 3-2 and left Milan defending a one-goal advantage through the closing stages. The visitors' recovery stopped there, leaving Gila's earlier header as the winner.
The statistics help explain why Milan's three-goal lead did not translate into a comfortable finish. Atalanta recorded 12 shots to the hosts' 11, although Milan put six attempts on target against four from the visitors. Milan also had 56% possession, while both sides won two corners.
Those figures do not describe a one-sided match. Milan built the bigger lead and produced more shots on target, but Atalanta finished with more attempts overall and scored twice after their double substitution. The hosts' finishing had created the cushion; protecting it became the task.
Milan coach Ruben Amorim acknowledged that his side's response at 3-1 needed to be better. Speaking to DAZN, in comments reported by TuttoMercatoWeb, he said: “At 3-1 we were afraid of conceding a goal, but we had to think about scoring one.”
That distinction captured Milan's closing problem: a match they had led by three goals became a narrow win. Atalanta's substitutes helped make the finish close, but their response began only after the hosts had established an advantage large enough to absorb both replies.
For the best moments, the official Serie A channel has published highlights of the five-goal match. The scoring milestones are Ramos's penalty in the 24th minute, Rabiot's goal in the 43rd and Gila's decisive finish in the 57th, followed by Gaetano in the 66th and Krstović in the 81st.
Milan leave the seventh round fourth on 15 points, four behind leaders Inter, with three wins from three home league games before their next trip to Udinese on 25 October. Atalanta sit 10th on nine points: their second-half recovery could not prevent a third consecutive away defeat, leaving them without a point from their three league matches on the road.
Questions
Why was Mario Gila's goal the winner?
Gila made it 3-0 in the 57th minute. Atalanta then scored twice through Gianluca Gaetano and Nikola Krstović, so Gila's goal ultimately provided AC Milan's winning margin in the 3-2 result.
What does the result mean for the Serie A table?
AC Milan are fourth with 15 points from seven matches, four points behind leaders Inter. Atalanta are 10th with nine points from seven games.
Who do AC Milan play next?
AC Milan next travel to Udinese on Sunday 25 October.
What is a VAR review?
A VAR review uses video assistance to help the referee check certain major decisions, including penalties, goals and direct red cards. Milan's second penalty in this match followed a review for handball.
