Milan swept Monza aside with three well-worked goals from Tijjani Reijnders, debutant Jan Carlo Simic and Noah Okafor, but suffered another two muscular injuries.
The Rossoneri had Simon Kjaer back, but lost Yunus Musah and suspended Davide Calabria, joining Malick Thiaw, Pierre Kalulu, Marco Sportiello, Mattia Caldara and Marco Pellegrino in the stands. Pablo Mari, Gianluca Caprari and banned Papu Gomez didn’t make the trip, as these clubs united in mourning former President Silvio Berlusconi.
It was a strong start from the hosts, as Olivier Giroud nodded over the bar just before the opening goal, as Tijjani Reijnders went on a stunning slalom between five defenders to prod the finish past Michele Di Gregorio.
Kjaer on his comeback after six weeks charged down a Lorenzo Colombo effort, then Di Gregorio got his gloves to a Theo Hernandez finish on the Rafael Leao pull-back.
Colombo hit the side-netting from six yards after the Dany Mota Carvalho stepovers, but Tommaso Pobega went off with a muscular problem, giving right-back Jan-Carlo Simic his debut.
Di Gregorio flew to palm a ferocious long-range Alessandro Florenzi screamer out of the far top corner, then Danilo D’Ambrosio’s pull-back from the by-line wreaked havoc in the six-yard box.
Florenzi was denied again with another splendid save, this time getting down quickly to palm away the powerful angled drive.
On the resulting corner, Rafael Leao got away from Matteo Pessina to roll across the six-yard box, where 18-year-old Simic came sliding in for the perfect debut, scoring in front of the Curva Sud.
Christian Pulisic almost made it 3-0 before half-time, his wonderful curler thumping the crossbar at the far top corner with Di Gregorio beaten.
Simic nodded wide from another corner and Mike Maignan made a remarkable reaction save when a ricochet accidentally set up Andrea Colpani from 12 yards, but Giroud fired a first-time finish just over the bar moments later.
Noah Okafor stung Di Gregorio’s gloves from distance, then got the third goal after a sensational team move. Reijnders got away from Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and found Giroud with an inspired disguised flicked pass, which the Frenchman immediately cushioned with one touch for Okafor to sweep into the bottom corner with the inside of the right boot.
The celebrations were short-lived, as moments later Okafor went down with a thigh problem and had to limp off, having spent only 10 minutes on the pitch.
Akpa Akpro made a decisive tackle on the Theo Hernandez counter-attack and Patrick Ciurria curled just over.
Milan 3-0 Monza
Reijnders 3 (Mi), Simic 41 (Mi), Okafor 76 (Mi)
Player statistic
| Tijjani Reijnders (Assist: Christian Pulisic) |
 |
3' | ||
| Tijjani Reijnders |  |
34' | ||
| Jan-Carlo Simic (Assist: Rafael Leão) |
|
41' |
| 55' | |
Andrea Carboni | ||
| Noah Okafor (Assist: Olivier Giroud) |
|
76' | ||
| 90+3' | |
Roberto Gagliardini |
Match statistic
