Luka Modric joins exclusive 40 club with milestone goal in Milan win

By Canadian Press on September 14, 2025.

MILAN (AP) — Luka Modric scored days after his 40th birthday to join an exclusive club and give AC Milan a 1-0 win over Bologna in Serie A on Sunday.

Modric, who celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, became the sixth player to score in the Italian league after turning 40, including most recently Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Fabio Quagliarella.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was sent off late on — in his third league match back in charge of Milan — for dissent after a penalty awarded to the Rossoneri was revoked on video review.

In familiar scenes from his time at Juventus, Allegri angrily threw off his jacket and also sarcastically shouted “Bravo” at the officials as he was escorted away.

Pervis Estupinan hit the post for Milan in the first half but Allegri’s team struggled to break Bologna down until the 61st minute.

Modric started the move midway inside his own half, finding Ruben Loftus-Cheek to go forward and spread the ball for Alexis Saelemaekers. The Belgium international cut inside and rolled it across for the onrushing Modric to drive into the back of the net from just inside the area.

Samuele Ricci, who had just come off the bench, saw an effort come off the post and Milan hit the woodwork for a third time in the match through Santiago Giménez.

The match also saw Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe face each other following a locker room bust-up that forced them both out of Marseille last month. Rabiot started the match for Milan, while Rowe came on in the second half for Bologna.

Roma shocked

Argentinian forward Giovanni Simeone scored his first Serie A goal in more than a year to help Torino to a surprise 1-0 win at Roma.

It was Torino’s first win of the season under new coach Marco Baroni and Roma’s first loss after two 1-0 victories in Gian Piero Gasperini’s first two matches in charge.

Simeone — the son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone — joined Torino from Italian champion Napoli last month. And he opened his account in stunning fashion in the 59th minute, starting and finishing the move.

The 30-year-old got past his marker to spark a counter and then played a one-two with Cyril Ngonge, getting on the return pass to curl a magnificent strike into the top-right corner.

Simeone last scored in the Italian league in August 2024.

Super Zalewski

Nicola Zalewski grabbed a goal and an assist and also hit the crossbar to help Atalanta crush Lecce 4-1 for its first win since Ivan Juric replaced Gasperini.

Giorgio Scalvini headed in Zalewski’s corner shortly before halftime for the opener.

The Poland wing back scored his first goal for the club in the 70th, cutting inside between two defenders and drilling into the bottom left corner.

That came either side of a brace from Charles Ketelaer and after Zalewski had seen a free kick crash off the bar early in the second half.

Konan N’Dri netted a late consolation for Lecce.

Atalanta had opened the season with two draws.

First points

Sassuolo got its first points of the season by beating Lazio 1-0.

Udinese remained unbeaten with a 1-0 win at newly promoted Pisa.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Daniella Matar, The Associated Press

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