A dominant second-half display sends Milan back to the top of the table, as Christian Pulisic opens the scoring and Christopher Nkunku nets his first Serie A goals in a one-sided win over Verona.
Milan closed out 2025 in style, sweeping aside Verona 3-0 at San Siro to reclaim first place in the Serie A standings. After a cagey first half, the Rossoneri shifted gears immediately after the break, overwhelming their opponents with pace, quality, and confidence.
The opening 45 minutes followed a familiar script against lower-table opposition, with Milan controlling possession but struggling to break through a compact Verona side. Everything changed within minutes of the restart. In the 46th minute, Christian Pulisic once again proved decisive, reacting quickest inside the box to finish from close range and notch his eighth league goal of the season.
The floodgates opened almost immediately. Just two minutes later, referee Fabbri awarded Milan a penalty after Nelsson hauled down Nkunku in the area. The French forward stepped up and converted calmly, scoring his first Serie A goal and visibly lifting a weight off his shoulders.
Verona never recovered. Milan continued to dominate, orchestrated by a superb Luka Modrić performance in midfield. In the 53rd minute, the Croatian nearly scored with a long-range strike that rattled the post, and Nkunku was perfectly positioned to tap in the rebound and complete his brace.
From there, the match was firmly under Milan’s control. The Rossoneri managed the tempo, enjoyed a standing ovation for Modrić when he was substituted, and comfortably saw out the game. Verona, on the other hand, offered little resistance, with attackers Giovane and Mosquera largely anonymous and withdrawn at halftime.
The result allows Milan to head into the new year with renewed confidence, while Verona leave San Siro with another reminder of the gap in quality against the league’s elite.
Match Report
Milan 3-0 Verona
Goals:
46’ Pulisic, 48’ Nkunku (pen), 53’ Nkunku
Milan (3-5-2):
Maignan; Tomori (86’ Odogu), De Winter, Pavlović; Saelemaekers (76’ Athekame), Loftus-Cheek (71’ Fofana), Modrić (71’ Jashari), Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic (76’ Ricci), Nkunku.
Coach: Allegri.
Hellas Verona (3-5-2):
Montipò; Núñez, Nelsson, Bella-Kotchap; Oyegoke (75’ Serdar), Niasse, Al-Musrati (84’ Harroui), Bernede, Bradarić (65’ Valentini); Giovane (46’ Orban), Mosquera (46’ Sarr).
Coach: Zanetti (suspended, Bertolini on the bench).
Referee: Fabbri
Yellow cards: Al-Musrati (Verona)
Red cards: None
