By Agencies

Copyright dawn

MILAN: Luka Modric scored his first goal for AC Milan to secure a 1-0 home win over Bologna on Sunday, a hard-fought Serie A result tempered by an injury to goalkeeper and captain Mike Maignan and a red card for coach Massimiliano Allegri.

A minute past the hour mark, 40-year-old Modric marked his first goal for Milan, arriving perfectly to meet Alexis Saelemaekers cross and finishing with a composed first-time strike.

“I hope next time someone won’t remind me of my age anymore!” joked Modric to DAZN.

The first half was played at high intensity, with both sides creating chances but neither able to break the deadlock. Bologna had the ball in the net early on through Nicolo Cambiaghi, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Milan’s best chance in the first half came in the 24th minute as Pervis Estupinan drove inside from the left and bent a powerful right-footed effort that struck the far post and bounced clear.

In stoppage time, Santiago Gimenez had another opportunity for the hosts, but his low attempt finished the wrong side of the upright.

Just minutes into the second half Milan were handed a worrying blow as Maignan limped off and was replaced by Pietro Terracciano.

But Milan said in a statement said that tests carried out on Monday morning excluded a serious injury similar to the calf issue which kept him out of action for months between 2022 and 2023.

Milan added that defender Strahinja Pavlovic also escaped a serious injury to his left thigh, add that “both players will be assessed on a day-by-day basis”.

The San Siro was convinced Milan had found a second seven minutes from time when Gimenez rounded Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, but from a tight angle his shot struck the outside of the post and stayed out.

Moments later, controversy followed as a Milan penalty was overturned after a VAR review, with Allegri shown a red card and sent to the dressing room, apparently for dissent on the decision.

Allegri later played down the incident, following which he hurled his jacket in frustration.

“There was the penalty incident, I had a disagreement with the fourth official. Nothing major,” he told DAZN.

“It was the penalty and at that moment I had some things to say. Fortunately, the jacket saved me.”

NO PSG FOR LOOKMAN

Earlier, Ivan Juric confirmed that Ademola Lookman would sit out Atalanta’s Champions League opener at Paris St-Germain as the Nigeria forward continues to be sidelined following a protracted attempt to leave the Serie A club.

Atalanta warmed up for Wednesday’s clash with the European champions in Paris by beating Lecce 4-1 without star man Lookman, who has not featured this season after trying and failing to force through a move to Inter Milan in the summer.

“I don’t think so, it’s an unpleasant situation,” said Juric when asked if Lookman would travel to the French capital.

“He has given a lot to Atalanta but Atalanta has given him a lot as well. We need players who are ready, who want to play for the shirt and improve… Looking ahead we’ll see what happens.”

London-born Lookman has scored 52 times in 117 matches for Atalanta, most famously netting a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final, when the Bergamo club won their first European trophy by thumping previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.

The 27-year-old Lookman soured his relationship with the club by abandoning team training in the hope that Inter would meet Atalanta’s asking price of 50 million euros ($59 million).

That never happened and Look-man, whose contract does not expire until the end of June 2027, was forced to return to Atalanta, where he has since been frozen out by Juric, who has replaced Gian Piero Gasperini in the dugout.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2025