Benevento boss Filippo Inzaghi (left), pictured with opposite number Stefano Pioli, won two Serie A titles and two Champions League crowns with Milan
AC Milan ensured city rivals Inter’s stay at the top of Serie A was a brief one despite playing much of their win at Benevento with 10 men.
Franck Kessie’s penalty put Milan ahead before Sandro Tonali’s knee-high lunge on Artur Ionita was changed from yellow to red by the video assistant referee.
However, Rafael Leao curled in a second to move unbeaten Milan a point clear.
Benevento’s Gianluca Caprari also missed a spot-kick, firing wide after being fouled by Rade Krunic.
The hosts, managed by Milan legend Filippo Inzaghi, registered 25 shots, but somehow failed to turn prolonged second-half pressure into a goal.
Keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a string of saves to keep last season’s Serie B champions at bay as the visitors extended their undefeated start to the league season to 15 games before they host Juventus at the San Siro on Wednesday.
Kessie’s penalty found the top corner after Alessandro Tuia’s foul on Ante Rebic, who later provided the through ball for Rafael to draw keeper Lorenzo Montipo off his line and curl in from a tight angle.
Both sides hit the woodwork, Milan twice through Hakan Calhanoglu and Kessie, while Roberto Insigne struck the post for Benevento, as the visitors responded strongly to Inter’s 6-2 win over Crotone which had lifted them top of the table for a couple of hours.
Line-ups
Benevento
- 1Montipò
- 3Letizia
Substituted forImprotaat 39’minutes - 13Tuia
Substituted forFoulonat 62’minutes - 15Glik
- 93Barba
- 56Hetemaj
Substituted forMonciniat 45’minutes - 28SchiattarellaBooked at 32mins
- 29Ionita
- 19Insigne
Substituted forSauat 82’minutes - 17Caprari
Substituted forDi Serioat 81’minutes - 9Lapadula
Substitutes
- 4Del Pinto
- 6Basit
- 8Tello
- 12Manfredini
- 14Dabo
- 16Improta
- 18Foulon
- 20Di Serio
- 21Moncini
- 22Lucatelli
- 25Sau
- 58Pastina
AC Milan
- 99Donnarumma
- 2Calabria
Substituted forContiat 81’minutes - 24Kjaer
Substituted forKalulu Kyatengwaat 81’minutes - 13Romagnoli
- 5DalotBooked at 78mins
- 8TonaliBooked at 33mins
- 79Kessié
- 21Díaz
Substituted forKrunicat 36’minutes - 10CalhanogluBooked at 41mins
- 12Rebic
Substituted forCastillejo Azuagaat 71’minutes - 17da Conceição LeãoBooked at 80mins
Substitutes
- 1Tatarusanu
- 7Castillejo Azuaga
- 14Conti
- 15Hauge
- 20Kalulu Kyatengwa
- 22Musacchio
- 27Maldini
- 29Colombo
- 33Krunic
- 43Campos Duarte da Silva
- 90Donnarumma
- 97Frigerio
Match Stats
Live Text
- Match ends, Benevento 0, Milan 2.
- Second Half ends, Benevento 0, Milan 2.
- Pasquale Schiattarella (Benevento) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- Foul by Rade Krunic (Milan).
- Attempt missed. Daam Foulon (Benevento) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
- Attempt blocked. Gabriele Moncini (Benevento) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
- Corner, Benevento. Conceded by Andrea Conti.
- Attempt blocked. Riccardo Improta (Benevento) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pasquale Schiattarella.
- Marco Sau (Benevento) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- Foul by Andrea Conti (Milan).
- Attempt missed. Kamil Glik (Benevento) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Marco Sau with a cross following a corner.
- Corner, Benevento. Conceded by Alessio Romagnoli.
- Attempt missed. Pasquale Schiattarella (Benevento) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Marco Sau.
- Artur Ionita (Benevento) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- Foul by Franck Kessié (Milan).
- Foul by Daam Foulon (Benevento).
- Samu Castillejo (Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- Foul by Federico Barba (Benevento).
- Franck Kessié (Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- Corner, Benevento. Conceded by Diogo Dalot.