..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Europa League last-32 draw: Arsenal must overcome Olympiacos as Man Utd battle Club Brugge


Arsenal must overcome Olympiacos to remain in contention for Europa League glory, while Manchester United will face Club Brugge in the last 32.Wolves’ continental adventure has delivered another intriguing tie, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side set to take on Espanyol.Celtic, meanwhile, will face Danish opposition in the form of FC Copenhagen and their Old Firm rivals Rangers tackle Braga.

Elsewhere, Ajax – Champions League semi-finalists in 2018-19 – will face another La Liga side in the form of Getafe while Bayern Leverkusen take on Porto.

Record winners Sevilla, with five successes to their name, take on Cluj and Inter will lock horns with Ludogorets.Arsenal made their way to the final of the competition last season, before coming unstuck against London neighbours Chelsea.

The Gunners will be hoping to go one better 12 months on, but face a tough test in the first knockout round against Greek giants Olympiacos.Manchester United will feel as though the draw has been a little kinder to them, but Club Brugge have already faced Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this term.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken of his desire to secure major silverware for the Red Devils and could follow in the footsteps of predecessor Jose Mourinho by savouring Europa League glory.

There are, however, a number of other heavyweight outfits still in the mix.

Wolves have held their own since returning to continental competition and will fancy their chances of troubling Espanyol.Celtic and Rangers are locked in another battle for domestic supremacy in Scotland, but will divert their attention when taking on FC Copenhagen and Braga respectively.

Antonio Conte’s Inter, given the quality at their disposal, will be among the favourites to go all the way and should have too much for Ludogorets.Ajax, given their rich European history, will also be heavily fancied in their meeting with Getafe.

Sevilla have shown in the past that they have the formula when it comes to the UEFA Cup/Europa League and Cluj are unlikely to be relishing a clash with the Liga outfit.

Shakhtar Donetsk against Benfica pitches two giants from their respective nations against one another, while another Portuguese side, in the form of Sporting, will face Istanbul Basaksehir.

Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg have been paired with Red Bull Salzburg and Porto respectively, while Bayer Leverkusen face a tough test against Porto.

The final fixtures at this stage see Roma take on Gent, APOEL tackle FC Basel and AZ Alkmaar face Austrian side LASK.The first legs will take place on February 20, 2020 and the return dates will be held a week later.

Europa League last-32 draw in full:

Wolves vs Espanyol
Sporting vs Istanbul Basaksehir
Getafe vs Ajax
Bayer Leverkusen vs Porto
FC Copenhagen vs Celtic
APOEL vs FC Basel
Cluj vs Sevilla
Olympiacos vs Arsenal
AZ Alkmaar vs LASK
Club Brugge vs Manchester United
Ludogorets vs Inter
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Red Bull Salzburg
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Benfica
Wolfsburg vs Malmo
Roma vs Gent
Rangers vs Braga

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations & Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Persie sees Greenwood following in his footsteps at Man Utd: Every game he tries to copy me


Robin van Persie has suggested Mason Greenwood is copying his technique at Manchester United, while predicting he will have a bright future at the club.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the bold decision to allow Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to leave Old Trafford to join Inter in the summer transfer window.As a result, United were left with just three natural options upfront, in the form of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and 18-year-old Greenwood.

Solskjaer outlined his intention to bring back a counterattacking philosophy based on pace and clinical finishing, with Greenwood granted the chance to step up into the first-team fold ahead of schedule.

The young centre-forward remains a raw talent, but during in the first half of the 2019-20 campaign he has proven to be a valuable asset for the Red Devils.Greenwood's late equaliser helped United earn a 1-1 draw at home to Everton on Sunday, which marked his seventh strike in 19 appearances across all competitions.

The academy starlet has had a huge impact despite being used as a substitute more often than not and is now pushing for a starting spot ahead of an out-of-form Martial.

Van Persie, who finished as United's top scorer in their 2012-13 title-winning season, thinks the style of play he perfected at Old Trafford is being copied by Greenwood, which means he will "end up" being just as successful.

The Dutchman said in a Q&A on the Europa League's Instagram account: "I think he will be very good because during every game he tries to copy me."My style, my technique, my left foot, my way of finishing... so, I'm sure he will end up there [like me]."

Greenwood will be back in contention for a place in Solskjaer's squad when the Red Devils host Colchester in a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie on Wednesday.


The teenager scored in United's third-round win over Rochdale, and could be asked to lead the line again ahead of a crucial weekend of Premier League action.
Solskjaer will take his side to Vicarage Road to face Watford on Sunday, as they look to close the four-point gap between themselves and fourth-placed Chelsea even further.

United will then look ahead to a Boxing Day clash at home to Newcastle, three days before they travel to Burnley as the festive season gets into full swing.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Ronaldo could end his career at Juventus' - Mendes hints at star forward's retirement plans


Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has suggested that the Portuguese superstar could end his career in Italy with current club Juventus.

The former Real Madrid forward's contract with the Bianconeri runs through until 2022, when he will turn 37.And Mendes says that his star client is happy in Turin and has no desire to move on, meaning he could call time on his magnificent career in the Italian top flight.

The high-profile agent also made special mention of head coach Maurizio Sarri, hailing the former Chelsea and Napoli boss despite reports of a rift between manager and player after the Italian brought Ronaldo off twice in as many games against Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League and AC Milan in Serie A.

"At Juventus he is happy, there is a great coach,” Jorge Mendes told Sky Sports.
“Yes, he could end his career at Juventus – he has signed a contract.” Sarri has been reluctant at times to field all three of Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain, often fielding one of the latter two alongside Ronaldo with Federico Bernardeschi behind them.

The Italian coach has seemed reluctant to field the three star names together, but Mendes insists that it is the manager’s decision and does not affect Ronaldo’s happiness at the club.“The trident with Dybala and Higuain? Sarri [will decide on that]".

Mendes also referenced Ronaldo’s failure to win the Ballon d’Or for two years in succession, losing out to former team-mate Luka Modric and rival Lionel Messi respectively, the latter of whom claimed his sixth such gong - one more than the Juventus forward's tally of five.

The agent feels his client should have claimed the award in one, if not both, of the last two years, but says the "injustice" will only motivate the 34-year-old to work harder and win it next year.

"He deserved to win [the Ballon d’Or] at least once in the last two years. It was an injustice, Cristiano only thinks of working hard to triumph next season."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aston Villa 5-0 Liverpool: Reds' kids crushed as hosts ease through to EFL Cup semi-finals

Liverpool's youngest-ever team was no match for Aston Villa in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, as Dean Smith's side ran out comfortable 5-0 winners to book their place in the semi-finals.

The Reds had to name an entire squad made up of reserves and youngsters due to the first team being in Qatar for the Club World Cup, and Villa ultimately made light work of their visitors, who named an XI with an average age of 19 years and 182 days.

Under the guidance of Under-23s coach Neil Critchley, Liverpool started the encounter with purpose and could have taken an early lead, but Villa made the most of the let-offs and blew the Reds away, going into half-time four up thanks to Conor Hourihane, a Morgan Boyes own goal and a Jonathan Kodjia brace.

While Liverpool had conceded four times in the opening half of a match for the first time since Steven Gerrard's last match, away to Stoke City in May 2015, Villa were not dominant until after the break, though they only added one more through Wesley's late fifth.

Liverpool's inexperience appeared no obstacle during the early exchanges, causing the Villa defence considerable issues as Harvey Elliott and Herbie Kane were crucially denied by Orjan Nyland.

But Caoimhin Kelleher was less commanding at the other end, allowing Hourihane's right-wing free-kick to squirm underneath him, before Boyes deflected an Ahmed Elmohamady cross over the goalkeeper as Villa raced into a commanding lead.

A kind ricochet in the 37th minute allowed Jota to play in Kodjia and he prodded past Kelleher after racing clear, with the forward getting a second on the stroke of half-time when steering Elmohamady's cross in from close range.

Kodjia was denied a hat-trick just past the hour when played through on goal as Kelleher got down to make a good save, but Wesley did cap the win off in stoppage time, stroking home his first goal in over two months.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid: Bale goal disallowed in tense Clasico

Gareth Bale saw a goal disallowed as Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou on Wednesday.LaLiga's top two went into the contest level on points this season and with 72 wins each from previous league meetings, and there was nothing to separate them in a tense clash in Catalonia.

The match was rearranged from October after the initial date became a security risk due to the prospect of Catalan independence protests, and there were fans inside and outside the stadium making their voices heard over one of Spain's most divisive issues.

The action on the pitch was a little less fraught, Bale's second-half strike - ruled out for offside - representing the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.
Madrid controlled the early exchanges and only Gerard Pique's timely intervention on the line denied Casemiro an opening goal with a header.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen beat away another Casemiro effort after Madrid had penalty shouts waved away following a shirt pull on Raphael Varane, who had earlier squared up to Jordi Alba.Thibaut Courtois went untested until the half-hour mark, when he palmed away a teasing Alba cross and the covering Sergio Ramos cleared Lionel Messi's rebound from in front of goal.

Alba had a golden chance to snatch the lead before half-time but could only side-foot wide of the right-hand post following a sublime lofted pass from Messi.

The second half proved more of an end-to-end affair, Bale rippling the side-netting and then seeing celebrations cut short when his tap-in was disallowed after a VAR review for an offside against Ferland Mendy.

A frustrated Messi made a mess of a chance just inside the box, failing to connect cleanly with the ball to sum up a clash surprisingly short on attacking quality.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Freiburg 1-3 Bayern Munich: Zirkzee and Gnabry leave it late to steal nervy win

Joshua Zirkzee marked his first Bundesliga appearance with a late goal while Serge Gnabry also scored in injury time as Bayern Munich stole a scarcely deserved 3-1 win at Freiburg.

Robert Lewandowski, fresh from a brace in a 6-1 hammering of Werder Bremen, netted a 19th league goal of the campaign to put Bayern ahead at Schwarzwald-Stadion.

Freiburg, having kept it to one during that early storm, levelled through Vincenzo Grifo's excellent equaliser, and the enterprising hosts had plenty of chances to earn the three pointsBut teenage substitute Zirkzee kept a cool head in the 91st minute to steer past Mark Flekken, and Gnabry added undeserved gloss as Bayern moved third and four points off the top of the Bundesliga.


Manuel Gulde made a sublime goal-line clearance from Philippe Coutinho's clever dink and Thomas Muller wastefully fired against the post as Bayern made a rip-roaring start.

The champions hit the front after 16 minutes when Lewandowski met Alphonso Davies' low left-wing centre on the slide from eight yards.Only Flekken's fingertips denied Lewandowski a second, while Manuel Neuer's fine reactions kept out Lucas Holer's strike from the centre of the box and Grifo volleyed another great chance over as Freiburg bared their teeth.

And after Gnabry and Thomas Muller fired over early in the second half, Grifo equalised just before the hour when he expertly steered Janik Haberer's cross home on the volley.

With the wind in their sails, Freiburg twice nearly went ahead. First, Nils Petersen failed to make clean contact with Grifo's dangerous ball, before Nicholas Hofler fired wide of the right post.Another stretching save from Flekken denied Ivan Perisic, but Freiburg again almost led when substitute Brandon Borrello curled wide of the right post.

Gnabry had a goal ruled out when it was judged Lewandowski, who was going for the same ball, was offside, but Bayern pinched the win a minute into injury time.
Gnabry floated a pass into the area for Zirkzee – whose senior debut came in the Champions League against Tottenham last week – to prod past Flekken.Germany winger Gnabry then fired home on the rebound in the 95th minute after Flekken saved his initial effort

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Oxford United 1-3 Manchester City: Arteta present as Sterling seals semi-final spot

Raheem Sterling scored twice as Manchester City battled to a 3-1 victory at Oxford United to reach the semi-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday.Joao Cancelo's first City goal opening the scoring midway through the first half, goalkeeper Jordan Archer wrongfooted by a deflection off helpless defender Elliott Moore.

League One side Oxford hit back just after the break, Matty Taylor taking his goal brilliantly to restore a short-lived parity, but Sterling - captain for the night - tucked in Angelino's left-wing centre to put the holders back in front.


Sterling struck again to seal a spot in the last four, with Pep Guardiola's assistant Mikel Arteta on the City bench amid reports the former Arsenal midfielder is set to succeed Unai Emery at Emirates Stadium.

Oxford skipper Rob Dickie made a brilliant last-gasp clearance to deny Sterling a tap-in as City turned the screw after a slow start.The Premier League champions were in front in the 22nd minute with a fantastic team move spanning the length of the pitch, though Cancelo's finish took a big deflection.

Oxford scored a shock equaliser 21 seconds after the interval, Shandon Baptiste sent Taylor clear on the right channel and he nutmegged Taylor Harwood-Bellis before steering a low shot past goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.But within five minutes City led again, Phil Foden freeing Angelino on the left to deliver a low centre that Sterling could not miss.

City's progression was sealed in the 70th minute, Sterling netting his 33rd club goal of the year in all competitions with another close-range finish from Gabriel Jesus' centre, and Cancelo hit the post late on as the gulf in quality finally told.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Le Mans 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain: Mbappe maintains scoring run as Tuchel's men ease through



Kylian Mbappe scored for a sixth game running as Paris Saint-Germain eased into the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue with a 4-1 win over Ligue 2 side Le Mans at MMArena on Wednesday.

The Ligue 1 champions made eight changes from their 4-0 win over Saint-Etienne on Sunday but proved too strong for Le Mans, who were the last remaining team from outside the top flight in the competition.

Pablo Sarabia, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mbappe were all on target in the first half for PSG, who added a fourth goal through Angel Di Maria in the 47th minute.


Substitute Harrison Manzala pulled one back for the hosts, but Thomas Tuchel's men - record eight-time winners of the competition - saw things through to make it five wins in a row in all competitions.Sarabia timed his run well to get on the end of Di Maria's left-sided cross and fire PSG ahead, with Pierre Patron getting two hands to the ball but failing to keep it out.

Le Mans eliminated Nice in the last round but their hopes of causing another upset took a hit when Mbappe squared the ball to Choupo-Moting after being played in by Marco Verratti's quick free-kick.Mbappe added a third for the visitors 87 seconds later by taking Verratti's pass in his stride, holding off Pierre Lemonnier and beating Patron to extend his scoring run.

Some slack defending and goalkeeping early in the second half gifted PSG a fourth goal, Di Maria's attempt from range squirming through Patron's grasp.Manzala cut inside and guided a shot away from Sergio Rico to give Le Mans something to celebrate, but it was plain sailing for the Ligue 1 giants in a quiet end to the match.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United 3-0 Colchester United: Rashford and Martial fire Solskjaer's men into semi-finals

Marcus Rashford scored his fourth goal in five games as Manchester United netted three times in 10 second-half minutes to beat Colchester United 3-0 in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men put the Old Trafford faithful through a drab first half in which they failed to make 80 per cent of the possession count, Rashford broke the deadlock six minutes into the second period with a fine solo effort.

Rashford would have had a second five minutes later had Colchester's Ryan Jackson not put through his own net, and the in-form forward then provided an assist for Anthony Martial to score his seventh goal of the season in all competitions.


The flurry of goals was no less than the Red Devils deserved for a fluid second-half display, with Colchester, who are ninth in League Two, made to pay for errors that had been absent in penalty shoot-out victories over Crystal Palace and Tottenham earlier in the competition.
Rashford sent a free-kick dipping wide from an acute angle early on, and Colchester goalkeeper Dean Gerken was then forced into a low reflex save when the England man's cross was deflected goalwards by Brandon Comley.

Colchester defended with 11 players behind the ball for much of the first half and, in doing so, exposed Martial's limitations as a target man, the France international's presence largely nullified by the visitors' packed, physical rearguard.

When Martial did receive the ball in space on the cusp of half-time, he hit a swerving shot from 20 yards that whistled narrowly wide of the top corner.
Jackson missed a one-on-one with Sergio Romero early in the second half whereafter Nemanja Matic immediately released Rashford, who burst through on goal, skipped across the penalty area, with Colchester defenders scrambling, and lashed the ball high into the net from 12 yards.

The second soon followed when Mason Greenwood's dangerous cross from the right hit Jackson's thigh and dropped into the net, with Rashford lurking.The third was the pick of the bunch, Juan Mata sending a curling, weighted pass to Rashford's feet in the box, where the forward crossed first time for Martial to bundle home.

The visitors improved in the final 20 minutes and two chances fell to striker Luke Norris, but the best he could muster was a shot into Romero's midriff as the minnows' fine run ended without a consolation goal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!​

 

[ThisaraMalintha]

35 years of age. holy shit

 

[Wolverine GTR]

35 years of age. holy shit

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carabao Cup semi-final draw: Man Utd to face Man City in last four


Manchester United and defending champions Manchester City will renew hostilties after being drawn together in the blockbuster match-up of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.The two English giants will fight for a place in the tournament's final against the winner of the other last-four fixture between Leicester City and Aston Villa.

Both Manchester sides got through to the semis against plucky lower league opposition, with the Red Devils grinding out a 3-0 win against League Two side Colchester United while Raheem Sterling's brace helped City to defeat League One club Oxford United 3-1.

Leicster, meanwhile, required a penalty shootout to progress past Everton, as Jamie Vardy converted the winning spot-kick after Leighton Baines' dramatic stoppage-time equaliser ensured the match finished 2-2 at the end of 90 minutes.Aston Villa booked their place in the last four on Tuesday with a comfortable 5-0 win against a Liverpool side weakened by those missing on Club World Cup duty.

United and Leicester will host the first legs of their ties in the week commencing January 6 with the return matches scheduled for the week beginning January 27.

Wembley Stadium will host the Carabao Cup final on March 1.
Manchester City will be aiming to win their third consecutive Carabao Cup title having defeated Arsenal 3-0 in 2018 and Chelsea on penalties after a goalless draw last season.

Pep Guardiola's side will also be seeking revenge after being beaten 2-1 by United in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on December 7.Seeking a third consecutive Premier League titlel, City have fallen off the pace to be 14 points behind Liverpool after 17 matches.

The Red Devils, who have won five Carabao Cups in their history, are battling to get back into the top four and currently sit in sixth position, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Leicester have been the Premier League's surprise package so far this term, with the Foxes currently sat in second position, albeit 10 points adrift of the Reds, and Brendan Rodgers' side will be hoping to win the Carabao Cup for the fourth time.

Aston Villa have won the tournament on five occasions, with the last coming in 1996 when they beat Leeds United in the final.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck Manchester United!
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 1-0 Flamengo (aet): Firmino clinches first Club World Cup title in extra time

Roberto Firmino struck in extra time to claim a first Club World Cup title for European champions Liverpool as they beat Flamengo 1-0 in Doha on Saturday.A tightly contested final should have been settled by Firmino long before the 99th minute, but the usually reliable forward twice missed the target when well placed.

Liverpool also had a last-gasp penalty award struck off in normal time following a VAR review, giving Flamengo - victors over the Reds in the 1981 Intercontinental Cup final - a lifeline.

However, the Premier League leaders dominated the additional period, and Firmino finally found the net to tee up yet more celebrations on Merseyside.

Liverpool scored inside two minutes of June's Champions League final, and Firmino should have put them in front after just 40 seconds on Saturday, lifting his finish over the crossbar after breaching the Flamengo back-line.

Naby Keita was similarly wasteful when Jordan Henderson freed Mohamed Salah to tee up the midfielder, before Trent Alexander-Arnold drilled wide in an extremely positive start for Jurgen Klopp's side.

After toiling for the remainder of the first half, Firmino again should have netted at the start of the second, brilliantly lifting the ball over Rodrigo Caio but slamming left-footed into the left-hand post.Salah stabbed wide as another Liverpool flurry continued, yet Gabriel Barbosa then had two sights of goal in quick succession and tested compatriot Alisson with the second.

While Liverpool were dealt a blow as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hobbled off after landing awkwardly, Henderson almost stole victory with an 86th-minute curling try that was touched over by Diego Alves.

There was still room for late drama before extra time, as referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim initially awarded a stoppage-time spot-kick against Rafinha for a foul on Sadio Mane, only to then assess the incident on the pitchside monitor and reverse his decision.

It was a reprieve that lasted only nine minutes into extra time, when Henderson set clear Mane, who squared for the composed Firmino to sit down goalkeeper Alves and rifle into the net.

Salah was denied a swift second by Alves, and substitute Lincoln should have got Flamengo back on level terms in the 119th minute, instead blazing over in front of goal to ensure Klopp's side the title.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Liverpool!

Club World Cup Champions 2019
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Watford 2-0 Manchester United: De Gea blunder undoes insipid Red Devils

Manchester United's erratic form continued with another insipid display against opposition they would be expected to beat, as rock-bottom Watford claimed a 2-0 win at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was able to call upon the services of Paul Pogba again from the bench for the first time since September, but by the time he was introduced the game was already beyond United, who have made a habit of dropping points against teams in the bottom half.

A complete lack of cohesion plagued the Red Devils in the first half, with Jesse Lingard wasting their only genuine opportunity as their front four made a minimal impact.

Helped by a shambolic error from David de Gea, Watford got the lead in the 50th minute through Ismaila Sarr and soon made it 2-0 thanks to a Troy Deeney penalty, giving Nigel Pearson a first win as Watford boss.

A first half sorely lacking in quality failed to produce many clear-cut opportunities, but Watford thought they opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure smashed home, only for referee Lee Mason to somewhat harshly deem Craig Cathcart fouled De Gea.

Lingard was then guilty of a woeful miss just past the half-hour mark, electing to chip Ben Foster when through on goal and his effort landed on the roof of the net.

United found themselves trailing just after the restart, though Watford needed a De Gea howler to score – Sarr's tame volley bouncing up at the Spaniard and he failed to stop it squirming into the top corner.

Another lapse – this time from Aaron Wan-Bissaka – allowed Watford to extend their lead four minutes later, as the right-back clumsily tripped Sarr and Deeney smashed his spot-kick down the middle.

Pogba was introduced for Lingard just past the hour mark and showed touches of class, but he was unable to inspire a turnaround.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

De Gea


Must win matches meh paradinnemehema giyoth nam Top 4 ena eka amarui:
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atalanta 5-0 Milan: Ilicic at the double as Rossoneri suffer Bergamo woe

Josip Ilicic scored twice as Atalanta outclassed a sorry Milan with a 5-0 rout in Bergamo on Sunday.

The hosts were rewarded for a dominant opening with a wonderful solo goal from Alejandro Gomez and ex-Rossoneri midfielder Mario Pasalic doubled the lead shortly after the hour.

Ilicic drilled home in the 63rd minute and soon had a second with an exquisite effort as Atalanta - who completed the thrashing through substitute Luis Muriel - were rewarded for a display full of enterprise and invention with a result that sees them head into Serie A's mid-season break in fifth.

Milan, who were unbeaten in four prior to the game, and coach Stefano Pioli will need to do some soul searching over the next fortnight, though, after a woeful away performance.

Ilicic had already tested Gianluigi Donnarumma by the time Gomez opened the scoring with a sublime piece of skill after 10 minutes.The forward nutmegged Andrea Conti on the left wing and drove inside before hammering high into the far corner.

Pasalic also rattled the crossbar and a ramshackle Milan, whose best first-half effort was a long-ranger from Ricardo Rodriguez, were fortunate Mateo Musacchio's elbow on Gomez only drew a yellow card.

Ruslan Malinovskiy placed a 20-yard effort just past the right post but a quickfire double had Atalanta in control.

Pasalic touched in Robin Gosens' strike from the left of the area, with Conti again beaten easily, before Ilicic turned Davide Calabria and rifled past a helpless Donnarumma less than two minutes later.

The best was still to come, though, with Ilicic jinking and weaving before cutting onto his left from 20 yards and bending a fine strike into the top-left corner.

Muriel, who replaced the brilliant Ilicic, made it five in the 83rd minute after racing onto a long ball and rounding the onrushing Donnarumma to tap into the open goal.