AC Milan kept their Scudetto ambitions alive with an assured 3-0 victory over Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, trimming the gap on Serie A leaders Inter to five points.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side once again showed their strength on the road as goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot sealed a convincing win.
Bologna enjoyed plenty of early possession and pressure, but Milan struck first in the 20th minute.
After Federico Ravaglia denied Nkunku twice at point-blank range, Rabiot reacted quickest to pull the ball back for Loftus-Cheek, who calmly slotted into an unguarded net.
The visitors doubled their lead just before the interval when Ravaglia brought down Nkunku inside the area.
The French forward dusted himself off and converted the resulting penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Any hope of a Bologna comeback disappeared moments after the restart. A poorly taken throw-in from Juan Miranda skipped past the hosts’ defence, allowing Rabiot to latch onto it, cushion the ball and fire past the onrushing Ravaglia for Milan’s third.
Bologna attempted to respond, but Mike Maignan, celebrating a new contract, was rarely troubled, producing only one notable save to deny Jens Odgaard.
Substitute Niclas Füllkrug came close late on, yet his header from a tight angle was comfortably dealt with by Ravaglia.
The result extended Milan’s impressive away run in Serie A, leaving them unbeaten in their first 12 matches on the road this season (seven wins, five draws), a feat they last achieved in the 2003-04 campaign.
Despite Bologna enjoying more possession and shots, Milan were ruthless, recording seven efforts on target and an xG of 2.61.
Rabiot’s influence stood out again, with the midfielder now boasting four goals and four assists in the league, a milestone matched by only one other midfielder this season, Nico Paz.
With Jean-Philippe Mateta’s proposed move from Crystal Palace collapsing earlier in the week, Milan will continue to rely heavily on midfield contributions as they chase down Inter in the title race.
