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by IANS |
Rome, May 16 (IANS) AC Milan took a giant step towards the Serie A title, defeating Atalanta 2-0 to need just one point to win the league in their last home game of the season.
AC Milan went into the San Siro on Sunday night with a two-point advantage over second-placed Inter Milan, while Atalanta were still fighting for a spot in the European places. Milan's last victory against Atalanta on home turf was in 2014, followed by four draws and three defeats.
Both sides failed to create genuine chances in the first half, and Milan striker Olivier Giroud was booked for dissent after his penalty appeal was rejected, Xinhua reports. The home side threw on Junior Messias in the 54th minute, and made an impact almost with his first touch as his long pass over the top found Rafael Leao, who resisted a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge to finish with a low strike.
AC Milan sealed the win 20 minutes later in sensational style, when Theo Hernandez started a move from his own half to surge forward and ride tackles before sending the ball to the bottom corner.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan kept their Scudetto hopes alive as Matteo Darmian's opener and Lautaro Martinez's brace saw the Nerazzurri beat Cagliari 3-1.
The title winners will be decided in the final round as AC Milan visit Sassuolo, while Inter Milan host Sampdoria. One point would secure the Rossoneri their first Serie A title since 2011, due to their superior head-to-head record.
Napoli secured third place after crushing Genoa 3-0. Lorenzo Insigne, who is leaving for Toronto FC this summer, waved goodbye to Napoli fans in his last match at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, while Genoa follow Venezia to drop into Serie B after 15 years in the top flight.
Also on Sunday, Sassuolo sailed away with a 3-1 victory over Bologna.
