AC Milan 3-0 Monza: Hosts ease to victory to keep league leaders in sight

AC Milan defeated Monza 3-0 at home on Sunday in Serie A, with 18-year-old Jan-Carlo Simic scoring on his debut.

Milan remain third in the standings, but have cut the gap to second-placed Juventus to five points. Monza are 11th with 21 points.

Tijjani Reijnders went on a solo run past three Monza players and into the area before poking in a shot through the legs of keeper Michele Di Gregorio in the third minute to put Milan ahead.

Rafael Leao played the ball across the goal from the right and substitute Simic slid in ahead of Lorenzo Colombo to double the home side's lead in the 41st minute.

Simic had earlier come on for the injured Tommaso Pobega in the 24th minute, with Stefano Pioli moving Alessandro Florenzi to midfield and Simic to right back.

Milan created numerous chances in the first half, with Di Gregorio making two excellent saves from Florenzi.

Before halftime, Christian Pulisic cut in from the right wing into the area and let fly with a curling shot that rattled the crossbar.

In the 61st minute, Milan keeper Mike Maignan made his first real save of the game when Fikayo Tomori's attempt at a clearance fell to Andrea Colpani, who shot from close range and was palmed away by the keeper.

Milan sealed the victory in the 76th minute with a beautifully executed move finished off by another substitute, Noah Okafor.

Reijnders evaded Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro before flicking the ball into the path of Olivier Giroud in the box, who laid it back to the unmarked Okafor for a first-time strike into the far corner.

Okafor, who had replaced Leao less than ten minutes before scoring, was injured four minutes later, adding to Pioli's injury woes.

Milan's third consecutive home win came after a 3-2 defeat at Atalanta the previous weekend, and they also took advantage of Juventus' 1-1 draw at Genoa on Friday.

SportsLigue