Milan, March 7: AC Milan boosted its title hopes by winning 2-0 at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Sunday despite being without a number of key players missing through injury.
Rade Krunic and Diego Dalot scored for Milan, which moved to within three points of league leader Inter Milan. The Nerazzurri host Atalanta on Monday.
Second-place Milan also remained four points above Juventus and six above Roma in fourth.
Juventus beat Lazio 3-1 on Saturday, while Roma beat Genoa 1-0 earlier Sunday.
After failing to win three of its last four games, Milan was desperate for a victory to put pressure on city rival Inter.
But the Rossoneri were without a long list of injured players including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Mandžukic, Ante Rebic and Hakan Çalhanoglu.
Milan’s injury problems seemed to get worse when Gianluigi Donnarumma appeared to pick up a knock early on and reserve goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu started warming up but Donnarumma was able to continue.
Krunic fired Milan in front in the 27th minute when he curled a magnificent free kick into the top right corner after he had been tripped by Verona defender Giangiacomo Magnani on the edge of the area.
Milan doubled its lead five minutes after the interval when Dalot finished a well-worked team move with a shot into the top left corner.
RACE FOR FOURTH
Gianluca Mancini’s bullet header helped Roma move back into the top four and the Champions League spots.
Mancini scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as Roma moved a point above fifth-place Atalanta.
Genoa remained seven points above the relegation zone after its second loss in three matches.
It had only lost one of the previous 10 since Davide Ballardini replaced Rolando Maran as coach.
Roma dominated and broke the deadlock when Mancini rose highest in the middle of the area to head a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner into the top right side of the net.
Genoa fought hard for the equalizer until the end but struggled to create opportunities of note.
RELEGATION SCRAPS
Simy scored twice to help bottom club Crotone beat Torino 4-2 in a direct battle to avoid relegation. (AP)
