AC Milan moved back to the top of the Serie A table on Sunday after a thrilling 5-4 win at Parma where both sides finished with 10 men.
Champions Juventus and AS Roma, both of whom have also won their opening two games, sit second and third respectively, with Inter in fourth, two points off the pace.
Milan are looking to launch a revival under new coach Filippo Inzaghi following two mediocre seasons and have impressed so far.
Photo: AFP
“Almost every time we took a shot on goal, we scored,” Inzaghi told Sky Sports. “There’s no doubt we deserved to win this game. A draw wouldn’t have been a fair result. We were always in front in the game ... this is the true Milan spirit.”
Milan looked to have taken a firm grip of the game after taking a 3-1 lead by the break. Former Atalanta BC striker Giacomo Bonaventura claimed his maiden goal in the 25th minute after being set up by Keisuke Honda, only for former Rossonero Antonio Cassano to beat goalkeeper Diego Lopez with a bouncing header only two minutes later.
The visitors were soon back in front when Honda headed Ignazio Abate’s fine delivery past Antonio Mirante on 37 minutes and Jeremy Menez doubled their lead from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime after he was hauled down by Alessandro Lucarelli.
Yet the tide turned in the other direction inside 10 second-half minutes.
Milan’s two-goal lead was halved when Cristobal Jorquera did great work down the left, leaving Felipe to beat Lopez from close range.
Barely 10 minutes later Milan were reduced to 10 men when Daniele Bonera was sent off for handball on the edge of the penalty area.
Milan looked to have fortune on their side when Cassano failed to control a pass from Felipe near the halfway line, allowing Nigel de Jong to steal in and run toward goal where he sneaked the ball inside Mirante’s near post, but only two minutes later Parma reduced the arrears again, Lucarelli rising to meet a corner and send a curling header past the outstretched Lopez.
However, Parma then suffered two blows in as many minutes. Felipe was booked for a second time and sent off after a challenge from behind on Menez. Minutes later the Frenchman restored Milan’s two-goal lead with a superb individual effort that saw him steal possession deep on the left and dink the ball past Mirante, before sending the ball into the roof of the net with a powerful back-heel.
Earlier, Mauro Icardi scored a hat-trick and Pablo Osvaldo added a brace as Inter routed US Sassuolo 7-0 for the second successive season.
Elsewhere, SSC Napoli suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to AC Chievo Verona, hosts ACF Fiorentina were held to a scoreless draw by Genoa, SS Lazio routed AC Cesena 3-0, Atalanta BC claimed a precious 2-1 win away at Cagliari and UC Sampdoria defeated Torino 2-0.
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