AC Milan 3-2 Atalanta: Rabiot Shines as Rossoneri Survive Late Fightback

AC Milan Hold Off Atalanta to Claim Three Points

AC Milan secured an important 3-2 victory over Atalanta at San Siro on Sunday, October 18, 2026, in a thrilling Serie A encounter that saw the hosts surrender most of a three-goal advantage before eventually holding on for all three points.

Ruben Amorim’s side appeared to have the contest under complete control for much of the evening, building a 3-0 lead through Gonçalo Ramos, Adrien Rabiot and Mario Gila. However, Atalanta responded strongly in the second half, scoring twice through Gianluca Gaetano and Nikola Krstović to set up a tense finish.

Despite the late pressure, Milan managed to protect their advantage and move up to fourth place in Serie A with 15 points.

The result also extended Milan’s unbeaten start to the Serie A season to seven matches.

Ramos Opens the Scoring.

Milan started the match with plenty of attacking intent and thought they had taken the lead early when Christian Pulisic found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 24th minute after Atalanta substitute Relja Obric was penalised for handling the ball inside the area.

Gonçalo Ramos stepped up to take responsibility from the penalty spot and calmly sent Marco Carnesecchi the wrong way to put Milan 1-0 ahead.

The Portuguese forward later had an opportunity to double his personal tally from another penalty, but Carnesecchi produced an excellent save to deny him.

Milan continued to control the game and created problems for Atalanta with their movement and pressure.

Rabiot Doubles Milan’s Advantage.

The hosts were rewarded again shortly before half-time.

In the 43rd minute, Diego Moreira found Adrien Rabiot inside the penalty area. The French midfielder showed composure to cut inside his marker before sending a low finish into the bottom corner.

The goal gave Milan a 2-0 lead at the break and reflected their dominance during the opening 45 minutes.

Rabiot was particularly influential in midfield, contributing both defensively and offensively as Milan maintained control of possession and territory.

The statistics showed Milan finished with 57 per cent possession and 12 shots, compared with Atalanta’s 43 per cent possession and 11 attempts.

Gila Makes It Three.

Milan continued where they left off after the interval and looked increasingly likely to put the match beyond Atalanta’s reach.

That moment arrived in the 57th minute.

After Ramos saw his second penalty saved by Carnesecchi, Milan quickly recovered the ball and continued their attack. Rabiot was again involved, helping create the opportunity that eventually allowed Mario Gila to head home and make it 3-0.

At that stage, Milan appeared to have the match firmly under control.

However, Atalanta refused to give up.

Atalanta Launch a Comeback.

The visitors began to find more space as Milan’s intensity dropped, and Gianluca Caetano gave them renewed hope in the 66th minute.

Gaetano produced a composed finish inside the area to reduce the deficit to 3-1.

The goal changed the atmosphere at San Siro, with Atalanta suddenly pushing forward in search of another goal.

Milan were no longer enjoying the same control they had displayed earlier in the match, while Atalanta continued to increase the pressure.

Their persistence paid off again in the 81st minute.

Raoul Bellanova delivered a dangerous cutback into the box, and Nikola Krstović reacted quickly to finish and make it 3-2.

Suddenly, what had looked like a comfortable Milan victory became a nervous battle to protect the lead.

Maignan Saves Milan at the End

Atalanta came extremely close to completing one of the comebacks of the weekend.

With Milan struggling to deal with the visitors’ attacking momentum, Davide Zappacosta found himself with a major opportunity to equalise.

Mike Maignan, however, produced a crucial save to deny Zappacosta and preserve Milan’s advantage.

That intervention proved decisive because Atalanta continued to threaten during the closing stages, but Milan eventually managed to see out the remaining minutes.

The Rossoneri’s ability to withstand that pressure ensured that Atalanta’s comeback stopped at two goals.

Rabiot Named Man of the Match

Adrien Rabiot was the standout performer for Milan and was named Man of the Match.

The French midfielder scored Milan’s second goal, played a role in Gila’s goal and consistently influenced proceedings in the middle of the pitch.

His performance was also recognised by player ratings after the match, with Eurosport describing him as Milan’s MVP for his energy and effectiveness. Another post-match rating placed Rabiot at the top with an 8.90 score.

Rabiot’s display was particularly important because Milan needed more than just their attackers to win the game. His movement, physical presence and ability to contribute in both areas helped the Rossoneri establish their commanding lead and control the tempo.

Milan Show Quality but Must Improve.

Although the victory will be welcomed by Amorim and his players, the final stages of the match will give the Milan manager plenty to think about.

The Rossoneri dominated large portions of the contest and deserved their lead, but allowing Atalanta to score twice after going 3-0 ahead exposed some defensive weaknesses.

Amorim admitted after the match that Milan’s improvement should not be judged solely by the difficult final minutes, although he acknowledged that the late collapse showed there is still work to do.

For Atalanta, the result will be frustrating. They were comfortably behind for long periods but showed impressive character by scoring twice and pushing Milan all the way to the final whistle.

In the end, though, Milan had done enough.

The 3-2 victory gives the Rossoneri another valuable three points and keeps their unbeaten league start intact. Atalanta, meanwhile, suffered their fourth defeat of the campaign.

Milan will take confidence from the victory, but the dramatic finish also serves as a reminder that controlling a match for an hour is not enough. Against stronger opposition, surrendering a three-goal advantage could prove far more costly.

For now, however, the three points belong to Milan, with Rabiot leading the celebrations after another influential performance in a five-goal thriller at San Siro.