AC Milan won 2-0 in Benevento despite the 10-man match high and returned to the top sensitive of Serie A on Sunday.
Rafael Leão almost secured Milan’s victory with a surprising goal in a period after the break. A Franck Kessié penalty gave Milan an early lead before Rossoneri midfielder Sandro Tonali was sent off in the 34th minute for a damaging tackle.
Benevento, coached by former star player and Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi, missed a penalty.
Milan remained the only undefeated team in the five most sensible leagues in Europe. Stefano Pioli’s appearance fell one point above Inter Milan, who had already won 6-2 at Crotone thanks to a hat trick from Lautaro Martínez.
The Serie A 20s were in action Sunday when the Italian league resumed after the winter break.
Juventus then Udinese.
Milan were still injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimović and had also left out several players.
He was smart to open the scoring in the 15th after Benevento defender Alessandro Tuia fouled Ante Rebić and Kessié changed the resulting penalty.
Roberto Insigne hit the post for Benevento and Milan’s chances of coming back from the more sensible seemed to diminish when Tonali earned a red card for a challenge to Artur Ioniță.
Benevento complex wave after wave of attack, occupying Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
But it was the 10-man Milan that scored next, 4 minutes after the break, when Leão huddled on the other side of the net from outside the domain down the left wing.
Benevento had to get back into the game in time, but Gianluca Caprari swerved after a lunge by Rade Krunić at Pasquale Schiattarella.
But Milan may also have extended their lead when Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kessié hit the wood.
HAT TRICK HERO
Inter had ended last year with a seven-game winning streak in the league, but it was when Niccolò Zanellato led Crotone to the lead in the 12th minute.
Martinez tied for 20 and the idea he had 11 minutes later, but Luca Marrone put the last touch on Nicolò Barella’s ball through the area.
Vladimir Golemić leveled at one time after Arturo Vidal fouled Arkadiusz Reca.
Vidal also guilty for Crotone’s first game and threw at half-time.
Inter did more in the part of the moment and this was demonstrated when Martinez regained his team’s lead in the 57th with a hard shot in the upper left corner.
Romelu Lukaku had been instrumental in the preparation and the former Manchester United striker marked his 50th Serie A appearance with a purpose of his own seven minutes later, preventing and preventing Sebastiano Luperto from shooting Alessandro Bastoni’s long ball.
Martinez finished his hat trick in the 78th, the rebound in close diversity after Crotone goalkeeper Alex Cordaz stopped Ivan Perišić’s shot. Achraf Hakimi capped off a wonderful day for Inter with 3 minutes remaining.
OTHER PARTIES
Duván Zapata scored twice and Atalanta beat Sassuolo 5-1 to get close to his opponent in the war for the most sensitive four.
Sassuolo slipped to fifth position, one point ahead of Atalanta and two issues in fourth place for Napoli after Gennaro Gattuso won 4-1 in Cagliari.
Roma beat Sampdoria 1-0 to remain third, seven issues against Milan.
At the finish of the board, Torino broke away from last position and the relegation zone with a 3-0 victory in Parma.
Spezia slipped into the last 3 after losing 1-0 at home to Hellas Verona. Genoa, the other in the relegation zone, controlled to draw 1-1 with Lazio.
Fiorentina drew 0-0 Bologna.
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