Serie A: Mbangula hat-trick ends Milan's unbeaten run as Inter join Lazio at the top

AC Milan's unbeaten start to the Serie A season ended on Wednesday night, when Samuel Mbangula scored a hat-trick on his first league start for Bologna in a 4-2 win at San Siro. On the same night Inter won 2-0 at Venezia thanks to two own goals and moved level with Lazio at the top. Juventus lost again and Napoli scored four at Monza, so the table is starting to take shape ahead of a big weekend in Milan and Turin.

Mbangula stuns San Siro

Mbangula scored inside eight minutes. Alphadjo Cissé then scored twice for Milan, in the 14th and 27th minutes, and the hosts led 2-1 at half-time. Milan collapsed after the break. Davide Bartesaghi turned the ball into his own net on the hour, Mbangula restored Bologna's lead two minutes later and then completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute.

Ruben Amorim's side had been missing several players through injury, including Adrien Rabiot, and the coach said his team had looked tired from the start. Milan stay on 18 points, which leaves them fifth.

Inter leave it late again

Inter were not at their best in Venice. Two efforts were ruled out for offside, and the game was still goalless with ten minutes left. Then Venezia gave the points away: Matías Moreno scored an own goal around the 80th minute and Redouane Halhal did the same two minutes later. Cristian Chivu admitted afterwards that the performance had not been convincing.

The win puts Inter on 25 points, the same as Lazio, who won 6-2 against ten-man Sassuolo on Tuesday. The two clubs also have the same goal difference, so Inter are top because they have scored more goals. Venezia are bottom with three points.

Juventus slip, Napoli hit four

Juventus lost 2-0 at Genoa, where Kingsley Ehizibue scored early and Tommaso Baldanzi added a second in the 28th minute. Luciano Spalletti's team have not won two league games in a row since the first fortnight of the season.

Napoli played without their suspended coach Massimiliano Allegri and still won 4-1 at Monza. Rasmus Højlund, Matteo Politano, Rafa Marín and substitute Kevin De Bruyne scored for Napoli, and Gustavo Varela, the league's top scorer, got Monza's goal. Napoli did lose Stanislav Lobotka, who was stretchered off. Napoli and Juventus are now level on 14 points.

Elsewhere, Parma and Udinese drew 0-0 after Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye saved Adrián Bernabé's 69th-minute penalty.

What comes next

There is no break before the weekend. AC Milan host Inter in the Milan derby on Saturday 31 October, and Juventus play Napoli on Sunday 1 November. Two Matchday 9 games were scheduled for Thursday: Frosinone v Lecce and Fiorentina v Atalanta.

Key takeaways

• Bologna won 4-2 at AC Milan with a Samuel Mbangula hat-trick, Milan's first league defeat of the season.
• Inter won 2-0 at Venezia with two late own goals and are level with Lazio on 25 points, top on goals scored.
• Genoa beat Juventus 2-0, and Napoli won 4-1 at Monza; both clubs have 14 points.
• The Milan derby (Saturday) and Juventus v Napoli (Sunday) follow this weekend.

FAQ

Q: Who is top of Serie A after Matchday 9? Inter and Lazio both have 25 points and the same goal difference. Inter are top because they have scored more goals.

Q: How did Bologna come back at San Siro? Milan led 2-1 at half-time through Alphadjo Cissé's double. Bologna then scored three times after the break: a Bartesaghi own goal and two more from Mbangula.

Q: Why was Allegri missing for Napoli? He was suspended after being sent off in Napoli's 3-3 draw with Roma.

Sources: AFP via Dawn, Yahoo Sports, The Sports Encounter, Football Italia