AC Milan won for the first time in four Serie A games after strolling to a 3-0 win over Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. An emphatic victory extended a phenomenal record on their travels in 2021, becoming just the second side in Serie A history to win 16 away games in a calendar year.
Andriy Shevchenko had endured a difficult start to life at the helm at Genoa, but his former employers were not in the giving mood. The visitors took the lead inside the opening ten minutes, as the evergreen Zlatan Ibrahimović stroked his free-kick into the corner, leaving Salvatore Sirigu rooted to the spot. The Swedish forward has now scored five in his last seven against Genoa, and moved up to 26th on the list of all-time goalscorers in Serie A.
The ‘Rossoneri’ were in complete command of the game and Ibrahimović was running riot. He squandered multiple chances to extend the lead, while Brahim Díaz was dazzling, and the hosts’ defence had no answer for him. That lead was finally doubled in first half stoppage time, as Junior Messias netted his first league goal of the season, lobbing Sirigu with a phenomenal looping header.
After a shaky start to the second half, Stefano Pioli was able to compose his players once more to great effect, as they extended the lead on the hour mark. Díaz slotted into the path of the man of the moment, Messias, who rolled his finish into the corner, out of reach of both the goalkeeper and defenders.
Milan entered cruise control after the third goal and saw the game out with ease, lifting them above arch-rivals Inter to second place. Meanwhile, Shevchenko has an enormous job on his hands to transform Genoa’s fortunes, as they’ve now won just one of their last 14 games on home soil, a run that leaves them in the Serie A relegation zone.
