(Football news) While Milan’s comeback victory over Frosinone strengthened their hold on third position in the standings, their guests just managed to overcome Hellas Verona with the help of a last-minute magic move.

Maintaining their lead over city rivals Inter Milan, who lead Serie A by four points after last week’s Derby d’Italia, Milan turned things around against mid-table Frosinone in the last 20 minutes of their most recent game.

With time running short and AC Milan trailing 2-1, Matteo Gabbia scored their second goal against the odds. Earlier in the game, Olivier Giroud had increased his goal involvement total to 19 in 20 league games, which is already the most goals the French striker has ever scored in a single Serie A season. 

Then, Giroud’s deputy Luka Jovic left the bench to produce a late winner, making Milan the team with most goals via substitutes (10) in Italy’s top flight; and since the start of December, Jovic has the best scoring ratio across Europe’s top five leagues – one every 41 minutes.

Having previously beaten Udinese 3-2 and drawn 2-2 with Bologna, Stefano Pioli’s side have certainly started 2024 with renewed confidence in the final third, though they have also conceded at least twice in each of their last three matches.

Over the last eight rounds, they boast a 2.5 points-per-game average in Serie A – fewer only than Inter over that period – and cannot be entirely ruled out of this year’s Scudetto race.

Sitting 10 points clear of fourth place heading in to the weekend, Milan are comfortably on course for a Champions League return, while they kick off their Europa League campaign against Rennes next Thursday.

First, though, the second-city club host a side they drew 2-2 with in October’s reverse fixture, when Giroud was at the double against one of his favourite opponents. During their generally brilliant 2022–23 campaign, which saw them unseat the Rossoneri as Italian champions, Napoli also suffered a 4-0 setback to Milan in the Champions League quarterfinals of the previous season.

Though to little effect, former manager Walter Mazzarri has returned to the bench as the Partenopei’s title defense has scarcely gone as planned, with Rudi Garcia’s unpopularity leading the way.

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