AC Milan produced a superb second half fightback from two goals down to beat Hellas Verona 3-2 at San Siro on Saturday and go top of the Serie A table.
Milan have now picked up 22 points after eight league games, their best record in the three-points-for-a-win era, going back to 1994-95.
“Verona were better than us in the first half, we were unlucky with the first goal but reacted after the break,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli said.
“I saw the right expressions on the faces of the players at half-time, we had to step it up and we did. It was a great test of maturity.”
A Gianluca Caprari strike and Antonin Barak penalty gave the visitors a comfortable half-time lead, but Olivier Giroud halved the deficit with a 59th-minute header.
The Rossoneri then turned the game on its head in the space of two minutes, as Franck Kessie equalised from the penalty spot and Koray Gunter steered an attempted clearance into his own net.
There was further good news for the hosts when Zlatan Ibrahimovic, their top scorer last season, made his return from injury from the bench for the final 13 minutes after more than a month out.
“Everyone knows his presence is very important to us. He is not yet in top condition, I hope he can improve and play a lot of games,” Pioli said.
Pioli’s side had a bad week with injuries, as goalkeeper Mike Maignan was ruled out for 10 weeks following wrist surgery before Theo Hernandez and Brahim Diaz tested positive for Covid-19.
They looked like a depleted force in the first half as stand-in keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu was forced into a save on an Ivan Ilic shot before Caprari smashed in the opening goal after seven minutes.
Inter lose
Felipe Anderson and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored late to complete a 3-1 comeback win for Lazio against league champions Inter Milan in Rome, as Simone Inzaghi fell to his first league defeat as Inter coach against his former club.
Ivan Perisic’s penalty put Inter in front at the break, but Ciro Immobile levelled in the second half with a spot-kick.
Anderson then fired Lazio ahead after 81 minutes, leaving Inter players furious that the hosts continued playing while the Nerazzurri had a man down, but Milinkovic-Savic made sure of victory with a close-range header in stoppage time.
“For an hour we put in one of our best performances. Then we conceded a penalty and when the strange second goal arrived we lost our heads,” Inzaghi said. “This must not happen.”
It was an emotional day for Inzaghi, who left Lazio in the off-season after 22 years there as a player and coach to take charge of Inter, and returned for the first time as an opposing manager.
The 45-year-old was warmly greeted by the home crowd, with a banner held up saying “22 years with our colours will not be forgotten”.
