AC Milan’s unbeaten start to the Serie A season came to an abrupt end as Samuel Mbangula’s hat-trick inspired Bologna to a thrilling 4-2 victory at San Siro.
The result was only Bologna’s second win in their past 22 top-flight meetings with Milan, despite the hosts having established the stadium as a stronghold this season.
Bologna began with purpose and nearly opened the scoring inside five minutes. Nadir Zortea’s cross narrowly evaded Jens Odgaard, who was attempting to apply the finishing touch, before Mbangula sent the loose ball wide.
The visitors did not waste their next opportunity. On his first Serie A start, Mbangula met Zortea’s cutback and swept the ball into the net to give Bologna the lead.
Milan were handed a route back into the contest when Bologna’s defence gifted them an equaliser. Arthur Theate was dispossessed by Omari Hutchinson, whose pressure blocked the defender’s attempted clearance. The ball fell to Alphadjo Cisse, who squeezed his finish home.
The equaliser shifted the momentum decisively towards Milan. They completed the turnaround after 27 minutes when Fikayo Tomori reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area and delivered a precise cross for Cisse to score his second goal of the evening.
Bologna responded after the interval with renewed attacking intent. Odgaard came close to restoring parity when, stretching to meet Federico Bernardeschi’s cross, he sent his effort inches over the crossbar.
The pressure eventually told. Juan Miranda’s inviting delivery into the penalty area caused confusion in the Milan defence and was turned into his own goal by Davide Bartesaghi.
Milan were struggling to contain Bologna, who quickly regained the lead. Miranda cut the ball back into the area and Mbangula calmly finished for his second goal of the match.
The scale of Milan’s problems was underlined by the 80th minute, when they had still not registered a shot in the second half. They needed an immediate response to avoid losing their first league match of the campaign.
Francesco Camarda had a clear opportunity to level when he headed wide from six yards, and Bologna punished that miss on the counter-attack. Mbangula completed his hat-trick to secure the 4-2 victory.
The win also made Raffaele Palladino only the third Bologna manager to win each of his first three Serie A away matches in charge of the club.
Samuel Mbangula was named Flashscore’s Man of the Match.