AC Milan moved closer to securing a spot in next season’s Champions League and returned to second place in Serie A after defeating Hellas Verona 1-0 on Sunday. Adrien Rabiot scored the only goal just before halftime, breaking the deadlock with a well-taken strike from the edge of the box.
The win was crucial for Milan, which had lost two straight games before this match. It now leads fifth-place Como by eight points and remains in second place after Napoli’s loss to Lazio earlier in the week. Juventus stayed within three points of Milan after defeating Bologna 2-0. The game also included an emotional tribute to former Juventus goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who passed away recently.
Rabiot was the standout player in the first half, and his goal came after he won the ball in midfield, played it to Rafael Leão, and then sprinted into the box to finish. Matteo Gabbia made his first appearance since returning from an injury but was ruled offside during what looked like a potential second goal.
In Turin, Juventus dominated Bologna, with Jonathan David scoring early and Khéphren Thuram adding another header in the second half. Meanwhile, Cremonese remained winless at home since December after drawing 0-0 with Torino, risking a drop into the relegation zone. Pisa stayed level on points with Verona at the bottom after losing 2-1 to Genoa, which moved 12 points above the drop zone.