Luka Modric scored his first AC Milan goal on Sunday, firing the Rossoneri to a 1–0 win over Bologna at San Siro just days after celebrating his 40th birthday.
The Croatian veteran, who joined Milan on a free transfer after 13 glittering years at Real Madrid, capped a sweeping move he started in midfield by arriving in the box to bury Alexis Saelemaekers’ low cross with a flawless first-time finish. The six-time Champions League winner wheeled away in delight as the home crowd roared his name.
The match ended in controversy when referee Matteo Marcenaro overturned a stoppage-time penalty initially awarded to new signing Christopher Nkunku, who had gone down under pressure from Jhon Lucumi and Remo Freuler. The decision infuriated coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose protests earned him a red card.
Milan also hit the woodwork three times in a dominant display, with Adrien Rabiot impressing on his debut alongside Modric in midfield. But there was concern as goalkeeper Mike Maignan limped off with another calf injury, adding to his long list of setbacks.
The victory was Milan’s first home win of the season, moving them up to fifth in Serie A on six points, level with Cremonese and Roma, who earlier slumped to a 1–0 home defeat against Torino.
Elsewhere, Atalanta prepared for their Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain by thrashing Lecce 4–1, but coach Ivan Juric confirmed star forward Ademola Lookman will not feature. The Nigeria international remains sidelined after a failed summer move to Inter Milan and has yet to play this season. Charles De Ketelaere struck twice, with Giorgio Scalvini and Nicola Zalewski also on target in Bergamo.
Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in last year’s Europa League final, has been frozen out by Juric after refusing to train in hopes of forcing through a transfer. His contract runs until June 2027, but his future in Bergamo looks increasingly uncertain.