Nkunku Brace Powers AC Milan To Serie A Summit After 3-0 Verona Win

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AC Milan moved two points clear at the top of Serie A as Christopher Nkunku ended a long league drought with a second-half brace in a 3-0 home win over Verona, adding to Christian Pulisic’s opener and putting pressure on Inter before their later fixture on 28 December 2025.

The scoreline did not reflect the cautious opening period at San Siro, where clear chances were rare and Verona defended compactly, with Milan’s best early effort coming from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, whose firm drive from the edge of the penalty area flashed narrowly beyond the far post.

Milan finally broke Verona’s resistance just before the interval from a right-sided corner, as Christian Pulisic drifted free at the far post and met Adrien Rabiot’s flick-on, guiding the ball first time into the roof of the net from close range to give Massimiliano Allegri’s side a deserved half-time advantage.

The hosts then restarted with real urgency and struck again almost immediately, when Christopher Nkunku drove into the Verona box and was knocked over by Victor Nelsson just 51 seconds into the second half, leaving the referee pointing to the spot after a brief check, with no serious complaints from the visiting defenders.

Nkunku stepped up and calmly found the bottom-left corner from the penalty, then struck again on 53 minutes, reacting quickest when Lorenzo Montipo tipped Luka Modric’s powerful effort onto the post, and the loose ball dropped a few yards from goal for Nkunku to sweep in Milan’s third from close range.

Verona briefly thought they had claimed a late consolation when Gift Orban stabbed in from close range after a scramble inside the six-yard box, but replays showed Orban had fouled goalkeeper Mike Maignan in the build-up, and the referee ruled the goal out following the intervention of the VAR team.

The double against Verona marked Nkunku’s first Serie A goals for Milan after 11 league appearances without scoring, and the forward showed sharp finishing, converting both of his shots, which statistical models classed as ‘big’ chances, while also completing all six passes attempted in the attacking third during an efficient display.

Christian Pulisic also continued a strong record in Serie A since joining Milan for the 2023-24 season, as the winger’s goal against Verona took the tally in Italy’s top flight to direct involvement in at least 50 goals, with 31 scored and 19 assisted, a mark matched only by Lautaro Martinez on 53 contributions.

AC Milan vs Verona Serie A head-to-head record

The win extended Milan’s dominant recent record in this Serie A fixture, as Allegri’s team have now beaten Verona in 10 consecutive league meetings, and the latest success also means Milan have recorded five straight home victories against Verona in the competition for the first time, underlining a consistent upper hand in this match-up.

Milan’s performance combined control, clinical finishing and defensive security, with key figures like Nkunku, Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Luka Modric and Mike Maignan all influencing different phases of play, and the result strengthened their position at the top of Serie A while maintaining momentum in a crowded title race that includes rivals Inter.