Milan find their groove as two No 9s equal success against Sampdoria | Paolo Bandini


Patrick Cutrone and Gonzalo Higuaín are forming an unlikely partnership after both scored to boost Gennaro Gattuso

Old habits die hard for Silvio Berlusconi. It is more than a year since he sold Milan, and barely a month since he completed a takeover of Monza in Serie C, but still he presumes to address his former club’s manager with tactical advice. “I don’t like [Gennaro] Gattuso’s team, because they only play with one centre-forward,” lamented Berlusconi recently. “Milan should always have two.”

It seems unlikely these words swung Gattuso’s thinking. This can hardly have been the first time he heard such a suggestion from a man with whom he remains in occasional contact. Berlusconi’s preference for two up top has been reiterated countless times down the years, though his knowledge of Milan’s playing staff appears to be similarly unchanging. In another interview on the same theme, he also proposed starting Kaká behind the attack.

Related: Cristiano Ronaldo: I left Real Madrid because of president Florentino Pérez

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A worthy match-winner for #ACMilan.

Suso's strike sealed all three points for the Rossoneri. ⚫️

AC Milan 3-2 Sampdoria pic.twitter.com/Hu3S3rEcHD

Related: Bayer Leverkusen's rout of Bremen underlines their underachievements | Andy Brassell

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Dries Mertens pounced late on to rescue Napoli a point at home against Roma.

They stay six points behind Juventus in the #SerieA standings. ⚽️ #Contenders pic.twitter.com/ES83hH4Bxz

Napoli 1-1 Roma, Milan 3-2 Sampdoria, Cagliari 2-1 Chievo, Genoa 2-2 Udinese, Spal 0-3 Frosinone, Sassuolo 2-2 Bologna, Torino 1-1 Fiorentina, Empoli 1-2 Juventus, Atalanta 3-0 Parma
Monday: Lazio v Internazionale

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