AC Milan keep pressure on Serie A top five with victory over Genoa

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:04 am
Carlos Bacca's goal put AC Milan ahead just five minutes into the match.

Goals from Carlos Bacca and Keisuke Honda fired AC Milan to a 2-1 win over Genoa.

Strikes in each half ensured the hosts kept the pressure on Serie A's top five and left Genoa looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

Alessio Cerci hit a consolation for Genoa but it was too late to deny Milan the victory.

Bacca struck after just five minutes, rifling the ball home from the left-hand side of the penalty area after the visitors failed to deal with a corner.

Milan almost doubled their lead in the 23rd minute but Giacomo Bonaventura was inches wide with a header from Mattia De Sciglio's cross.

After the break Bonaventura and Alessio Romagnoli were narrowly off target before Honda rifled in the second after 68 minutes.

The Japan forward collected a pass from De Sciglio and smashed the ball home from just outside the area.

Bonaventura should have got on the scoresheet moments later after he was teed up by Bacca but Mattia Perin made a fine point-blank save.

Riccardo Montolivo then rattled Perin's right-hand post with a thunderbolt from outside the box.

Genoa had still not registered a shot on target but Olivier Ntcham fired high and wide and Blerim Dzemaili drove over as they attempted to claw their way back into the game.

They got their belated reward in stoppage time when Cerci bundled home from close range, but Milan held out to collect all three points.