AC Milan stunned at home by Atalanta blow as Champions League dreams suffer setback

Without a victory in their previous four Serie A outings (D2, L2), Raffaele Palladino’s Atalanta side arrived in Milan eager for an uplifting outcome.

La Dea got lucky to dodge an initial attempt by Adrien Rabiot, whose shot from the box’s edge hit the upright, and the away team capitalised on that escape in the seventh minute, with Ederson snapping up a stray ball in the penalty area to fire a precise shot into the bottom corner for his second Serie A strike this term.

After opening the scoring, Atalanta sought to build on their lead, and another goal came right on the 30-minute mark.

Nikola Krstovic displayed sharp vision to pass the ball to Davide Zappacosta inside the box, and the full-back kept cool to place a calm effort past Mike Maignan.

Trailing by two goals, the Rossoneri hunted for a way back into the game, yet Rafael Leao could not overcome Marco Carnesecchi, who held strong to block the Portuguese attacker.

With just two defeats in their prior 11 league visits to Milan (W4, D5), Atalanta kept control, and Palladino’s team notched a third in the 51st minute as Giacomo Raspadori rifled a diagonal shot into the top corner from Ederson’s assist.

Keen to prevent more damage, Milan intensified efforts as the clock neared the last 30 minutes, but Carnesecchi rose to the occasion for the away side, stopping Christopher Nkunku from netting his first league goal since February.

Massimiliano Allegri’s squad kept pushing for a reply, with Rabiot driving a low effort just off target before Niclas Fullkrug had a tidy finish disallowed for offside.

Not giving up, Milan at last turned their dominance into reward in the 88th minute as Samuele Ricci’s tempting free-kick was nodded into the far corner by Strahinja Pavlovic.

Boosted by that strike, the home team clawed one more back in added time, with Nkunku slotting home from the penalty spot following a rash challenge by Marten de Roon.

Even with Milan’s determined rally and a late opportunity for Matteo Gabbia, Atalanta stood resolute to claim the points, picking up only their third league away win in nine fixtures.