Milan 3-2 Atalanta: An Hour of Control, Half an Hour of Panic — Amorim Survives with the Points
Serie A – Round 7 | San Siro | 18 October 2026
By Dr. Talal Othman, General Manager — GCC Sport
Milan played two matches in one night at San Siro. The first lasted sixty-five flawless minutes. The second was a stretch of anxiety that nearly undid everything before it. The Rossoneri held off an Atalanta fightback to win 3-2, climbing to fourth while Ruben Amorim stayed unbeaten through his first seven league games. The win was deserved, but it came with a clear warning.
How the Match Unfolded
The opener came from a refereeing decision. Substitute Relja Obrić, making his league debut after replacing the injured Sead Kolašinac, blocked Yunus Musah’s shot with an outstretched arm. After an on-field review, the referee awarded a penalty, and Gonçalo Ramos sent Carnesecchi the wrong way on 24 minutes.
Two minutes before the break, Adrien Rabiot took control of the match. Diego Moreira found him at the edge of the box, and he cut inside before driving a low finish into the bottom corner.
Early in the second half, the game looked settled. Milan won a second penalty on 56 minutes after a VAR check found that Thomas Kristensen had handled Rabiot’s volley, but this time Carnesecchi guessed right and parried Ramos’s kick. A minute later, from the corner that followed, Mario Gila headed in at the back post off Rabiot’s flick-on. It was his first goal for the club.
Then the game changed. Milan’s level dropped, and errors and complacency let Atalanta back in. Substitute Gianluca Gaetano pulled one back on 66 minutes, set up by Nicola Zalewski. Krstović then hit the post after a poor backpass from Moreira, before he reduced the deficit again from a quick counter with nine minutes left. In the closing stages, Mike Maignan stepped up to deny what could have been an equaliser.
This win shows both the strengths and the weaknesses of Amorim’s Milan. The back three and attacking wing-backs smothered Atalanta for an hour. Rabiot was central to everything, linking play, pressing and scoring, while Modrić set the tempo with his experience. But the team is still missing something basic: the ability to manage a lead. A side that goes three goals up and then concedes twice in fifteen minutes has not yet learned how to close out a game.
Amorim admitted as much afterwards, saying his side could have avoided conceding the two goals. That admission matters more than the three points, because big matches do not grant a team an hour of dominance and then forgive half an hour of disorder.
Atalanta showed the character of a team that refuses to give in. But the comeback came too late, and it could not hide how absent they had been in the first half.
Match Stats
- Possession: 56% Milan, 44% Atalanta
- Expected goals (xG): 2.41 vs 1.65
- Total shots: 11 vs 12
- Touches in the opposition box: 22 vs 15
Man of the Match
Adrien Rabiot: he scored the second goal, assisted the third, and his volley led to the second penalty. He was involved in every decisive moment.
What It Means
Milan move to 15 points (four wins, three draws), while Atalanta remain on 9 after a fourth defeat. Milan are now one of four sides still unbeaten in Serie A, alongside Inter, Lazio and Roma.
