AC Milan defeated AS Roma 1-0 in the big match of Serie A’s tenth round. Pavlovic’s goal decided it. The Rossoneri wasted at least two clear chances to double the lead and then thanked Maignan for saving Dybala’s penalty in the final minutes.
Milan vs Roma, first half
Max Allegri made two changes compared to the midweek game against Atalanta. In defense, De Winter replaced Tomori, who was not fully fit and started on the bench. Up front, with Gimenez unavailable, Nkunku started alongside Leao for his first start of the season. Gasperini also went with a light attack: in Roma’s 3-5-2, Soulé and Dybala led the line.
The match began with a minute of silence in memory of Giovanni Galeone, who passed away today at age 84. Less than a minute in, the first chance came for Roma. Cristante made a late run but dragged his shot wide from the edge of the box. Milan left gaps, and Dybala was launched toward goal, but De Winter reacted faster and blocked him. Roma stayed on the front foot. Celik broke down the right, Bartesaghi stopped him, but Ricci’s clearance fell to Cristante, whose shot was saved by Maignan in two attempts. Roma almost scored in the 10th minute when Ndicka met a cross from Soulé with a header that went inches wide as Maignan stood still.
In the 17th minute, another huge chance came for Roma. De Winter missed Celik’s cross, and Dybala controlled the ball, but his left-footed effort missed the target. After twenty tough minutes, Milan tried to respond. From a Modric corner, Pavlovic rose high at the back post but couldn’t direct the header on target, pressured by a Roma defender. The pace slowed in the middle phase, but six minutes before halftime Milan took the lead. Saelemaekers led a counterattack and found Leao on the left. The Portuguese winger beat Ndicka for pace and squared the ball for Strahinja Pavlovic, who scored with his left foot past Svilar.
Milan tried to build on that momentum. Saelemaekers fed Nkunku at the edge of the box, whose powerful first-time shot went straight at the goalkeeper. The Rossoneri came close to doubling the lead seconds before halftime. Leao switched play to Bartesaghi, whose first-time cross found Fofana, but the midfielder sent his left-footed shot wide from a great position. After one minute of stoppage time, the first half ended with Milan ahead.
Milan vs Roma, second half
The second half started with no changes, and Milan immediately pushed hard, creating three big chances in the first two minutes. After 15 seconds, Ricci’s long-range shot went just wide. Fofana then forced a save from Svilar, and Leao’s next effort was blocked by Mancini. Two minutes later, Svilar denied Leao’s powerful left-footed shot and pushed it out for a corner. From Modric’s delivery, the ball hit Nkunku inside the six-yard box and rebounded off the post.
After that scare, Roma tried to get back into the game, helped by Gasperini’s substitutions, introducing Pellegrini and Bailey. Around the hour mark, Pellegrini tried a right-footed shot, but it went straight into Maignan’s hands.
In the 67th minute, chaos unfolded in Roma’s box. Bartesaghi’s shot-cross caused confusion, and after several rebounds, the ball fell to Leao two meters from goal, but Hermoso cleared his shot off the line. Ten minutes from time, Guida awarded Roma a free kick on the edge of the box after Fofana’s foul. Pellegrini’s effort hit the wall, but the referee judged a handball by Fofana and gave a penalty. Dybala took it, aiming for the corner, but Maignan guessed correctly and saved, sending San Siro into celebration.
Allegri tightened the structure, bringing on Loftus-Cheek and Athekame for Nkunku and Saelemaekers. In the six minutes of added time, with Tomori replacing Leao, Roma failed to threaten Maignan again. Milan held firm and secured an important win, joining Roma and Inter on 21 points, one behind league leaders Napoli.
