Two early Milan goals outweighed Genoa's better chances

Genoa made the better chances and Milan had most of the ball, but two early goals settled a 2-1 win at the Luigi Ferraris.

Milan had the lead inside the first twenty minutes and then saw the game out. Alphadjo Cissè put them ahead at 13 minutes, Christian Pulisic doubled it soon after, and Genoa only came back into the contest at 88, when Mikael Ellertsson finished a move that Tommaso Baldanzi started. The 2-1 scoreline suggests a closer evening than most of it was, because the difference was largely settled before the half hour.

Genoa were the side that made the chances. They took 17 shots at home, where they usually take 11, and their expected goals figure (xG, a rough score for the quality of chances, where a tap-in counts for far more than a long-range effort) reached 1.21, above the 0.93 they average at home. Only five of those shots were on target, so the quality was not matched by the finishing.

Milan had the ball for most of the game, with 62% possession against a usual 57.7% on the road, but they created much less from it. Their six shots were about half their usual away return, and their expected goals figure of 0.67 sat well below the 1.77 they normally reach away from home. Possession is the share of the ball a team holds, and here it said little about the danger each side carried.

The goals came from players who did not need many chances. Cissè's finish was set up by a pass from Adrien Rabiot, who ended the night with a rating of 7.6. Pulisic, who scored after a pass from Gonçalo Ramos, earned the highest rating of the match at 8.2 before he was substituted at 79, and his goal did more than any single shot from Genoa.

Genoa's problem was at the other end as well as in front of goal. They conceded two at home, above their usual 1.4 for a home match, while Milan conceded only once, below their usual 1.2 on the road. Milan's goalkeeper made five saves, the most of anyone on the pitch, and Genoa's goalkeeper made none because Milan's shots rarely tested him.

There were no red cards, but there was plenty of cautioning. Milan picked up four yellow cards, one of them for Pulisic in the 76th minute and another for Mario Gila late on, while Genoa received two. Genoa's late goal gave the home crowd something to push for, yet it came too late to change the shape of the match.

Milan have won six and drawn three of their ten away games, and they sit fifth on 21 points. Genoa, on 13 points from ten matches, are 12th in the table.

Player of the matchC. Pulišić1 goal8.2

A. Rabiot1 assist7.6

A. Cissè1 goal7.5

K. De Winter7 duels won7.3