Early Breakthroughs at Marassi
AC Milan secured a vital 2-1 away victory against Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on November 8, 2026, building an early lead through goals from Alphadjo Cisse and Christian Pulisic before holding off a late comeback attempt by the hosts. Reported by Football Italia, the Rossoneri entered the fixture following a turbulent run of form that included a defeat to Bologna, victory in the Derby della Madonnina, and a Europa League loss to Ferencvaros. Manager Amorim faced personnel limitations with Strahinja Pavlovic, Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Pietro Terracciano, and Alexis Saelemaekers sidelined by injuries, forcing Yunus Musah into a makeshift left-back role.
Despite missing several key players, Milan stunned the hosts early. Milutin Osmajic nearly put Genoa ahead in the opening minute with a long ball that shaved the far post, but Milan soon took control. In the 13th minute, Cisse opened the scoring after winning possession in a high press and finishing a square ball from Adrien Rabiot. According to SempreMilan, the strike marked Cisse’s eighth goal of the campaign in all competitions, serving as a fitting celebration following his first senior Italy call-up.
Expanding the Advantage
Milan doubled their lead in the 19th minute following another successful defensive press. As detailed by Goal.com, a careless square pass from Leo Ostigard toward his goalkeeper was intercepted by Goncalo Ramos. The Portuguese attacker squared the ball to Christian Pulisic after evading a defender, allowing the American forward to fire inside the near post and make it 2-0.
Genoa manager De Rossi deployed an aggressive tactical setup, but defensive errors proved costly in the first half. Alessandro Marcandalli and Ibrahim Mamadou Traorè both contributed to the sequence leading up to Milan’s second goal, gifting possession in dangerous areas. Throughout the first half, veteran midfielder Luka Modric controlled the tempo for Milan, anchoring the midfield alongside Koni De Winter and Rabiot while providing defensive cover and steady distribution. De Winter anchored the physical battles at the back, helping neutralize Osmajic despite the forward’s relentless pressure.
Late Genoa Push and Closing Stages
Genoa intensified their pressure in the second half. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan made crucial saves to deny Ostigard and Vitinha, while Osmajic continued to occupy Milan’s makeshift central defensive pairing. Tempers flared early in the second half when Marcandalli brought down Rabiot, resulting in a yellow card and protests that saw three members of the Milan coaching staff sent off from the touchline by referee Davide Massa.
Genoa’s persistence eventually paid off late in the match when Mikael Egill Ellertsson found the back of the net with a powerful, precise right-footed shot in the 88th minute, catching Maignan screened behind defenders after a free-kick was blocked. Despite late pressure and defensive wobbles that saw manager Amorim make several defensive adjustments—bringing on Filippo Terracciano, Ardon Jashari, and Pervis Estupinan—Milan held firm through the final whistle to secure the three points.
The victory provided crucial morale and league standing improvements for the Rossoneri, temporarily reclaiming a top-four spot while halting Genoa’s recent momentum that included three consecutive victories against opponents such as Juventus. The result offers a temporary release of pressure as Milan head into the international break, though Amorim will need to address defensive vulnerabilities exposed during the closing minutes of matches.