AC Milan 3-2 Atalanta: Ramos, Rabiot and Gila score as Milan survive late fightback

AC Milan were three goals up at San Siro and still needed a late save from Mike Maignan to beat Atalanta 3-2 on Sunday. Gonçalo Ramos scored a penalty, Adrien Rabiot added a second before half-time and Mario Gila headed a third, before Gianluca Gaetano and Nikola Krstović set up a tense finish for Ruben Amorim's side.

Ramos also had a second penalty saved by Marco Carnesecchi. The win avenged Atalanta's 3-2 victory at San Siro in May.

Match facts

• Result: AC Milan 3-2 Atalanta (half-time 2-0)
• Competition: Serie A, Matchday 7
• Venue: San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza), Milan
• Scorers: AC Milan - Gonçalo Ramos 24' (pen), Rabiot 43', Gila 57'; Atalanta - Gaetano 66', Krstović 81'
• Assists: AC Milan - Diego Moreira (43'), Rabiot (57'); Atalanta - Nicola Zalewski (66'), Raoul Bellanova (81')
• Penalty saved: Carnesecchi from Gonçalo Ramos (57')
• Red cards: none
• Next: Bournemouth v AC Milan (Europa League) and Ajax v Atalanta (Conference League), both Thursday 22 October; Atalanta v Frosinone and Udinese v AC Milan, both Sunday 25 October

How the match unfolded

Christian Pulisic had the ball in the net in the 13th minute, but his goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Atalanta's best chance came in the 19th minute, when Krstović rounded Maignan but could only find the side-netting from a tight angle.

Maurizio Sarri lost Sead Kolašinac to injury a minute later and sent on Relja Obrić for his first-team debut. Within two minutes, Yunus Musah's shot struck Obrić's arm, and referee Daniele Chiffi awarded a penalty after checking the pitchside monitor. Ramos converted the spot-kick in the 24th minute.

Rabiot doubled the lead two minutes before the break. Moreira played him through, and the France midfielder beat Carnesecchi with a right-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Early in the second half, Thomas Kristensen handled Rabiot's shot and Chiffi again pointed to the spot after a VAR review. This time Carnesecchi guessed right and saved from Ramos, but Milan scored from the resulting corner in the 57th minute, when Rabiot headed the ball on and Gila nodded in from close range.

Sarri's double change on 59 minutes, Gaetano for Mario Pašalić and Zalewski for Jonathan Rowe, lifted Atalanta. Krstović hit the post from distance in the 63rd minute, and three minutes later Zalewski found Gaetano in the middle of the box for a left-footed finish past Maignan.

In the 81st minute Bellanova burst down the right and cut the ball back for Krstović to turn it in. Substitute Davide Zappacosta then went clean through, but Maignan spread himself to block. At the other end, Carnesecchi kept out Ardon Jashari and Ramos in the closing minutes, and Milan held on through five minutes of stoppage time.

What it means

Milan backed up Thursday's 4-0 Europa League win at Red Bull Salzburg, but let a three-goal lead shrink to one in the final half-hour. They had 56% of the ball and six shots on target to Atalanta's four, and sit fourth on 15 points after seven matches, four behind leaders Inter Milan with the round still to finish.

Atalanta, who beat Pafos 3-1 in the Conference League on Thursday, have lost four of their seven Serie A games and are 10th on nine points.

What's next

Milan visit Bournemouth in the Europa League on Thursday (20:00 UK), while Atalanta travel to Ajax in the Conference League at the same time. Both are back in Serie A next Sunday. Atalanta host Frosinone, 4-2 winners over Sassuolo in their last league game, at 14:00 UK, and Milan visit Udinese, beaten 3-0 at home by Lecce on 18 October, at 19:45 UK. Bournemouth go into Thursday's game after beating Sunderland 2-0 this weekend.

The BetAlert database lists reported betting scam accounts, and BetAlert's account checks are free.