AC Milan returns to second place in Serie A with a minimum win over Verona.

AC Milan achieved a tight 1-0 win over Hellas Verona, who are at the bottom of the table, to rise to second place in the Serie A rankings, while further sinking the hosts into the risk of relegation.

Milan started rather sluggishly against crisis-stricken Verona, displaying the image of a team still recovering from the shock of three losses in their last four matches, including a disappointing 0-3 defeat at home to Udinese in the previous round.

Rossoneri fans had to wait until the 32nd minute to witness the first accurate shot of the match, when Adrien Rabiot fired a rather tame effort from outside the box, sending the ball straight into goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò's position.

However, the French midfielder showed much sharper precision when the next opportunity arose late in the first half. Starting from the second line, Rabiot accelerated to meet Rafael Leão's perfectly placed through pass before calmly finishing past the rushing goalkeeper, opening the scoring for the visitors. This goal relieved Milan's pressure and provided a crucial advantage before the break.

Nevertheless, Massimiliano Allegri's squad still needed the familiar reliability of Mike Maignan to preserve their lead. The French goalkeeper made a vital intervention with a quick reflex in a dangerous one-on-one situation against Rafik Belghali, thus keeping Gialloblù trailing as the teams entered halftime.

Trailing behind, Verona's interim coach Paolo Sammarco made strong adjustments during the break. Ioan Vermeșan was introduced and immediately made an impact with two dangerous long-range shots. The first forced Maignan to dive for a low save, before the second effort narrowly missed the far post.

Matteo Gabbia seemed to have given Milan a 2-0 lead with a close-range header into the host's net, but the goal was disallowed as the assistant referee raised the flag for offside. Shortly afterward, Alexis Saelemaekers had a chance to double the lead, but his shot was cleared by a Verona defender right on the goal line.

Nevertheless, Milan preserved the 1-0 victory, extending their winning streak against Verona to 11 consecutive matches and consolidating their position in the top four. Conversely, Gialloblù remain stuck at the bottom of the standings and are now 10 points adrift from the safety zone, with only five rounds remaining in the season.

Scorer:Adrien Rabiot (41')

Starting lineup

Verona (3-4-2-1)Montipò; Valentini, Bradarić, Gagliardi; Nielsson, Akpa Akpro, Belghali, Oyegoke; Bernede, Orban; Athekame.

AC Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Bartesaghi, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Leao; Pulisic, Athekame.