Milan 2-4 Bologna: Mbangula hat-trick leaves Amorim's side seven points off the top

Bologna won 4-2 at San Siro on Wednesday, coming from 2-1 down at half-time, as Samuel Mbangula scored a hat-trick on his first start for the club. It was the first Serie A defeat of the season for Rúben Amorim's Milan, who are fifth on 18 points, seven behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio, with the derby against Inter to come on Saturday.

Cisse turns it round, then Milan fall apart

Mbangula put Bologna ahead after eight minutes: Milan's Yunus Musah lost the ball, Bologna's Tommaso Pobega found Nadir Zortea, and Mbangula, a Belgian winger, finished Zortea's low cross with his right foot. Milan's Alphadjo Cisse replied twice. On 14 minutes he scored after Milan's Omari Hutchinson dispossessed Bologna defender Arthur Theate, and on 27 minutes he turned in a cross from team-mate Fikayo Tomori with an acrobatic finish. Milan had 671 passes to Bologna's 338 over the match, according to our data. Tomori stopped on 42 minutes and touched the back of his thigh, and was replaced at half-time by Luka Modric, with Musah moving to right-back; Gazzetta dello Sport described it as a possible new muscle injury.

Miranda changes the game

Bologna coach Raffaele Palladino brought on Juan Miranda, Martin Vitík and Nicolò Cambiaghi for Rahim Alhassane, Matteo Darmian and Federico Bernardeschi. Miranda's free kick on the hour was turned into his own net by Milan's Davide Bartesaghi for 2-2. Two minutes later Miranda crossed again and Mbangula beat Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. On 86 minutes Bologna's Nicolò Cambiaghi won the ball from Milan substitute Francesco Camarda, forward Jens Odgaard was played into space and found Mbangula, who completed his treble on the counter. Gazzetta reported whistles from the 72,825 crowd.

A hat-trick against a familiar opponent

Mbangula had played only 14 minutes for Bologna before Palladino started him, with Cambiaghi carrying a physical problem. Juventus sold him to Werder Bremen in the summer of 2025 for 10 million euros plus bonuses, and he returned to Italy on loan this season. Gazzetta notes it was his first career hat-trick, and that he is one of very few players to score three away at Milan in the three-points era. His last Serie A goal before Wednesday had also come against Milan, for Juventus on 18 January 2025. "It is one of the best nights of my life," Mbangula said. "My first hat-trick, but I hope not the last."

What it changes

Bologna move up to 11th with 11 points, their third win in four matches according to Gazzetta, though they are still without a home league win at the Dall'Ara. "Yes, it is nice to win here, but we still haven't achieved anything," Palladino said. Bologna host Monza on Saturday afternoon. Milan now have Roma (21) and Como (20) between them and the top two before facing Inter, who are level on 25 points with Lazio.