Milan regains victory after the defeat suffered against Napoli at San Siro, winning 1-0 away against Monza. The decisive goal was scored by Tijjani Reijnders shortly before half-time, launched into the starting lineup by Paulo Fonseca together with Theo Hernandez after his suspension. The Rossoneri coach chose to exclude Rafael Leao from the first minute, bringing the Portuguese to a third consecutive bench in the league. This success allows Milan to face the next Champions League match against Real Madrid with greater serenity, also relaunching their ambitions in the league.

Monza, coached by Alessandro Nesta, fielded Daniel Maldini from the start but remains in the lower areas of the table, with only two points ahead of Genoa, last in the standings. The red and whites showed an up and down side: a good first half, characterized by some missed opportunities, followed by a less incisive second half and without real opportunities to equalize.

The start of the match saw a good approach from Monza, who created dangers already in the first minutes. Dany Mota scored a goal that was later disallowed by referee Ermanno Feliciani for holding Theo Hernandez. Despite the controversy, it was Nesta’s team who dominated the first part of the first half, with Maldini having a great chance to give his team the lead. On the other side, Milan struggled to create play, showing only a few offensive signs on the left. Maignan proved decisive for the Rossoneri with at least two important saves.

Although Monza continued to apply pressure, it was Milan who cynically struck on the counterattack: Reijnders scored with a header in the 43rd minute, taking advantage of a save by Izzo on Morata. After returning from the locker room, Fonseca decided to warm up Leao in an attempt to give the team a boost. He came on in the 63rd minute, trying to exploit the spaces that Monza were leaving.

Nesta responded to the changes with a more offensive formation, but the second half was uneventful and Leao and Morata wasted chances to increase their lead. In the end, Milan won 1-0, leaving Monza with regrets for the opportunities missed in the first half.