After a very tame start at the San Siro, the first opportunity of any kind finally arrived after 20 minutes when Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s 20-yard deflected effort flashed narrowly wide of the post to almost give the hosts the lead.
It looked like there was going to be very little to report on for the first half, but remarkably, the Rossoneri took the lead with the only shot on target inside the opening 45 minutes during stoppage time.
An excellent corner kick from Luka Modric was flicked on by the head of Adrien Rabiot into the path of an unmarked Christian Pulisic, who hooked the ball home from close range to net his eighth Serie A goal of the season.
The second half began in dramatic fashion as the hosts were awarded a penalty within the very first minute of the restart, as Victor Nelsson needlessly committed a foul on Christopher Nkunku just inside the box. Nkunku stepped up to take the spot-kick himself and sent Lorenzo Montipò the wrong way to double Milan’s advantage and finally grab his first league goal for the Rossoneri.
Remarkably, Nkunku’s second Serie A goal of the campaign arrived just five minutes later, as he reacted quickest to tap the ball into the back of the net after Montipo tipped Modric’s 20-yard strike onto the post. At this stage, Verona’s defence were all over the place, and the hosts came agonisingly close to adding a fourth goal shortly after the hour mark, as Loftus-Cheek’s effort from inside the box was denied by Montipò at his near post.
Ultimately, the game petered out in its closing stages with the points already in the bag in front of a jubilant home crowd. The Rossoneri’s first game of 2026 takes place on the 2nd January, when they take on Cagliari away from home in Serie A.
Meanwhile, Verona’s defeat sees their two-match winning run come to an end. The Gialloblù remain inside the relegation zone in 18th place and sit two points adrift of safety.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Christopher Nkunku (AC Milan)
