Samuel Mbangula delivered a sensational performance at San Siro on Wednesday night, scoring a hat-trick to inspire Bologna to a remarkable 4-2 victory over AC Milan and hand Ruben Amorim his first Serie A defeat of the season.
Bologna overturned a first-half deficit to claim all three points in a dramatic encounter that saw six goals, a stunning individual performance, a costly own goal and several missed opportunities. The result also ended Milan’s unbeaten start to the league campaign, leaving the Rossoneri with plenty to consider ahead of Saturday’s Milan derby against Inter.
The visitors made an aggressive start and threatened Milan’s defence before opening the scoring in the eighth minute. After Bologna capitalised on a mistake in midfield, Nadir Zortea delivered a dangerous ball from the right, allowing Mbangula to finish from close range and give the visitors an early advantage.
Milan responded quickly, however, and restored parity in the 14th minute. Arthur Theate was caught in possession while attempting to play out from the back, allowing Omari Hutchinson to seize the opportunity and set up Alphadjo Cissé, who finished calmly past goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski to make it 1-1.
The equaliser gave the hosts renewed confidence, and they continued to push forward in search of a second goal. Bologna remained dangerous on the counterattack, with Federico Bernardeschi helping create an opportunity that forced Milan to defend desperately.
The visitors briefly threatened to regain the lead, but Milan soon completed the turnaround.
In the 27th minute, Cissé struck again to put the home side 2-1 ahead. Following a strong attacking move involving Hutchinson, Fikayo Tomori delivered the ball into the danger area, where Cissé connected with an acrobatic finish that beat Skorupski.
The midfielder’s second goal put Milan in control of the contest, and the hosts appeared well placed to extend their advantage before the interval.
Bologna nevertheless continued to look for openings. Bernardeschi created another promising opportunity for Jens Odgaard, but the forward could not keep his effort down from close range.
Milan also threatened to increase their lead, with Ardon Jashari firing narrowly wide from distance before Skorupski dealt with a dangerous delivery into the penalty area.
The first half ended with Milan holding a 2-1 advantage, but Bologna emerged after the break with renewed determination.
Amorim introduced Luka Modrić at half-time, replacing Tomori, who had picked up an injury, while further substitutions followed as Milan attempted to manage the game and preserve their lead.
However, the changes did little to prevent Bologna from turning the contest around in a remarkable two-minute spell.
The equaliser arrived in the 60th minute when substitute Juan Miranda delivered a free-kick into the penalty area. Milan defender Davide Bartesaghi, attempting to deal with the delivery, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net to make it 2-2.
The own goal shifted the momentum, and Bologna wasted little time taking advantage of Milan’s defensive uncertainty.
Just two minutes later, Mbangula struck again to put the visitors ahead. Miranda was involved once more, providing the decisive delivery into the penalty area. Mbangula controlled the ball, created space for himself and finished past Mike Maignan to complete Bologna’s turnaround and make it 3-2.
The Belgian forward’s second goal of the evening left Milan facing an unexpected challenge after they had appeared comfortable at the interval.
The hosts responded by committing more players forward in search of an equaliser. Christian Pulisic and Francesco Camarda were introduced as Milan attempted to increase their attacking threat, while Bologna looked to exploit the spaces opening up behind the home defence.
Milan came close to restoring parity when Camarda met a cross from Cissé with a header that narrowly missed the target. It was a significant opportunity for the hosts, who were unable to capitalise despite increasing the pressure.
Bologna also threatened to extend their lead. Niccolò Cambiaghi found space on the counterattack and fired narrowly wide, missing an opportunity to give the visitors some breathing room.
Milan continued to push forward, but their attacking urgency left them increasingly vulnerable to Bologna’s counterattacks.
The visitors eventually punished that approach in the 86th minute, when Mbangula completed his hat-trick and sealed a memorable victory.
After Bologna won possession in midfield, Jens Odgaard advanced into the attacking third before delivering the ball into the penalty area. Mbangula positioned himself perfectly to receive the pass and finished clinically past Maignan, making it 4-2 and completing the finest performance of the evening.
The goal sparked celebrations among the travelling supporters and confirmed Bologna’s ability to recover from a difficult first half against one of Italy’s most decorated clubs.
Milan attempted to respond in the closing stages, with Pulisic testing Skorupski with a diving header, but the Bologna goalkeeper produced an important save to preserve his side’s two-goal advantage.
The visitors managed the remaining minutes effectively, preventing Milan from mounting another comeback and securing a statement victory at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Mbangula was undoubtedly the outstanding performer, finishing the match with three goals after opening the scoring and then striking twice in the second half. His hat-trick overshadowed Cissé’s impressive brace and gave Bologna a result that will strengthen their confidence as the Serie A campaign continues.
For Milan, the defeat represents a significant setback. After recovering from an early goal to take the lead into half-time, the hosts lost control of the match following Bartesaghi’s own goal and Mbangula’s second strike.
The defensive lapses and missed opportunities will concern Amorim, particularly with the Derby della Madonnina against Inter scheduled for Saturday, October 31.
Bologna, meanwhile, secured their second consecutive away victory and demonstrated their ability to punish defensive mistakes while remaining composed under pressure.
The result leaves Milan with work to do as they prepare for their next fixture, while Bologna can celebrate a memorable night in which Mbangula’s clinical finishing transformed a difficult contest into a convincing 4-2 triumph at San Siro.
