Dazzling Diaz secures fourth straight Rossoneri win

In the thick of what is shaping up to be another superb Serie A title race, the reigning champions knew victory over top-flight debutants Monza was the only option, and as expected, Milan flexed their muscles and jumped into the lead early on. Picking up the ball nearly at the centre-circle, Brahim Diaz went on a dazzling solo run before slotting home underneath the onrushing keeper, setting the San Siro alight within 20 minutes.

The Rossoneri continued to pile the pressure on their visitors, and were rewarded for their efforts on the brink of half-time when Diaz collected the ball in the box before turning and firing home Milan’s second on the night. From that moment, it seemed a mere question of ‘how many’ for the champions, though they still had a long way to go in order to match their record Serie A win of 9-0, set against Palermo in 1951.

While Monza pushed for a route back into the game, the quality of Milan shone through once again. After the ball found its way to Divock Origi on the edge of the box, the Belgian stepped into the space afforded by the Monza rearguard and lashed his shot into the back of the net, surely driving the final nail into the visitors’ coffin on their maiden top-flight trip to the San Siro.

However, the Biancorossi did pull one back through second-half sub Filippo Ranocchia, but it was too little too late as Milan answered back with their fourth in the dying minutes. Rafael Leao scored his fifth of the campaign to secure all three points for the hosts, and put the pressure back on first place Napoli. Meanwhile, Raffaele Palladino’s Monza remain hovering just above the relegation zone.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Brahim Diaz (AC Milan)