Carlos Bacca rescues AC Milan in tight win over Palermo

Milan’s coach said said about facing Palermo: “They’re a good team, we must repeat the performance we gave against Inter and put all our anger on the pitch”.

Rather than feel hard done by, though, Milan replied with the game’s decisive fifth goal just three minutes later.

A stoppage time goal by Massimo Maccarone gave Empoli their first win of the season as they beat Udinese 2-1 away.

Palermo started their season with back-to-back 1-0 victories against Genoa and Udinese respectively, but needed an 88th-minute equaliser from Uros Djurdjevic to clinch a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Carpi last time out.

It nearly took the lead early when Luiz Adriano burst down the right and crossed toward Bacca.

Injury forced Milan into an early change, as Ignazio Abate was replaced after failing to shake off the effects of a challenge and Davide Calabria replaced him.

Palermo levelled in the 32nd minute, however, a ghastly error from goalkeeper Diego Lopez allowing Hiljemark to twist his body and head home.

Giacomo Bonaventura restored Milan’s lead with a sublime free-kick just before the halftime break, while Hiljemark equalised once again 72nd minute with his second on the night.

It looked to have secured a point for Giuseppe Iachini’s men, but their celebrations were soon cut short when Bacca rose to meet Juraj Kucka’s swinging cross in from the right to power a glancing header past the diving Sorrentino.

“Big Mac” controlled Riccardo Saponara’s pass and fired it into the roof of the net from a narrow angle.

Duvan Zapata had given Udinese the lead in the 19th minute with his first goal for the club, heading in Antonio Di Natale’s cross from near the left corner flag. Empoli leveled less than minute later, Leandro Paredes sidefooting the ball through a sea of legs into the far bottom corner from the edge of the area.