Messias revitalises rossoneri

Milan got back on track by flattening Andriy Shevchenko’s Genoa with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick and splendid Junior Messias brace.

This was a very special game for Shevchenko against his former club, having picked up one point from two fixtures on the Grifone bench. Ante Rebic, Olivier Giroud, Ismael Bennacer, Davide Calabria and Samu Castillejo were injured and Alessio Romagnoli suspended. Genoa missed Mattia Destro, Domenico Criscito, Felipe Caicedo, Mattia Bani, Nikola Maksimovic and Mohamed Fares, but had Zinho Vanheusden back in defence.

The pressure was on the Rossoneri after two consecutive Serie A defeats, while Genoa were without a win in 11.

It was the worst possible start for Milan, as Simon Kjaer slipped and seemed to sprain his left knee in the opening minute. He was stretchered off and replaced by Mattia Gabbia.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with a free kick from 20 metres that curled around the wall and in at the near post, as Salvatore Sirigu had not placed himself or the wall very well.

Ibrahimovic almost had another set up by Junior Messias, denied by a decisive Vanheusden block. Brahim Diaz twice ran at defenders, twisting and turning, but fired inches over the bar.

Milan doubled their lead when a shot was deflected up into the air and Messias intelligently just steered it with his head into the far top corner with a looping finish that went over helpless Sirigu. It was the Brazilian’s second goal for Milan after scoring with another header against Atletico Madrid.

Genoa thought they’d equalised at the dawn of the second half, but Mike Maignan made an astonishing save to fingertip Hernani’s glancing header out from under the bar on a Nicolò Rovella free kick.

Messias completed his brace with a well-taken left-foot angled drive into the far bottom corner after good work from Krunic and Brahim Diaz.

It wasn’t over, though, as Daniele Portanova spotted Mike Maignan off his line and went for the lob from the centre-circle, the goalkeeper scrambled back just in time to fingertip it out from under the bar.

Genoa 0-3 Milan

Ibrahimovic 9 (M), Messias 45, 61 (M)