Milan thump Bologna 5-1
Algerian midfielder Ismael Bennacer scored his first Serie An objective as a rampant AC Milan thumped Bologna 5-1 to keep their excellent recent form at the San Siro on Saturday.
Alexis Saelemaekers also scored his maiden goal for the club to go with strikes from Hakan Calhanoglu, Ante Rebic and Davide Calabria as Milan overwhelmed the visitors and might have won by a larger margin.
They move to 56 points from 34 games to have a grip on sixth place, the final Europa League qualifying spot, and continue their record of scoring several goals in every eight Serie A matches they have played because the resumption of the growing season.
Bologna, who are 10th on 43 points, looked lethargic and created little in the Milan penalty area, but did score right before halftime through Japan international defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, his first for the club.
The effect is further confirmation of the task of Milan coach Stefano Pioli in providing the medial side with more of an attacking threat because they hunt a European place for next season.
They opened the scoring on 10 minutes following a outstanding move that oozed class - Rebic's clever backheel set Theo Hernandez free on the left wing and his cross was dummied by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in to the path of Saelemaekers, who side-footed home.
The house side continued to create openings almost at will, and added a deserved second midway through the first half, albeit with a present from Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, whose attempted clearance fell straight to Calhanoglu and the Turkey international applied a straightforward finish.
Franck Kessie hit the post as Milan kept up their high-tempo start, nonetheless it was the visitors who scored next with a rare foray forward, centre back Tomiyasu crashing a go in to the top corner from the edge of the box to make the halftime score 2-1.
The two-goal advantage was restored minutes in to the second half though as Bennacer burst into the box and provided a robust finish to break his Serie A duck.
Rebic's excellent shot on the turn added a fourth before the hour-mark as Milan pulled clear, before substitute Rafael Leao had an attempt cleared off the line.
Leao then create Calabria for a simple finish as the home side recorded their biggest victory of the season.
