Luca Antonelli's second-half strike was enough to see AC Milan beat Chievo 1-0 at San Siro in Serie A this evening.
Sinisa Mihajlovic's side came into the match in 10th after an uninspiring start to the season, and it was the visitors who had the first opportunity when Valter Birsa crossed for Lucas Castro, but the midfielder's header was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
After winning for the first time in five matches at the weekend the hosts were keen to push on, but they suffered an early blow when Ignazio Abate had to be replaced by Mattea de Sciglio after just 14 minutes.
Andrea Bertolacci had returned to the Milan side after a knee injury, and the midfielder nearly marked his comeback with the opening goal after 22 minutes but he just could not keep his header down from Alessio Cerci's cross.
Cerci then had a good opportunity himself but the striker could only curl wide from the edge of the box as Chievo struggled to contain the hosts' attacking intent.
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Milan should have take the lead six minutes before the break when Giacomo Bonaventura met a deep cross from Alex but could not divert his effort into the net and Chievo were able to clear their lines.
Cerci headed wide after a slick move as the hosts edged closer to an opener, but the away side fired a warning shot seconds before half time when when Donnarumma had to turn Sergio Pellissier's header over the bar after Milan's defence had switched off at a set-piece.
The home side were denied an opener by a fine save from Albano Bizzarri when the 37-year-old dived low to parry out Juraj Kucka's header six minutes after the break, but that proved to be only a temporary reprieve for the visitors.
Less than a minute later the Rossoneri found their breakthrough when Bonaventura fed Carlos Bacca and the striker teed up Luca Antonelli to curl home off the post.
Donnarumma denied Alberto Paloschi from point-blank range as Chievo refused to fold, but Milan should have been out of sight when Bacca somehow failed to turn home Bertolacci's ball across goal.
Antonelli's strike proved to be enough, however, as Milan secured back-to-back victories to move up to seventh.
Tom Nightingale
