MILAN: Keisuke Honda scored his fourth goal in six matches as AC Milan ended a three-game winless streak in Serie A with a 2-0 victory over visiting Chievo Verona at the San Siro on Saturday.

Milan hosted the Verona-based side looking to get back to winning ways after two successive draws, against Cesena and Empoli, and a 1-0 home defeat to Juventus last month.

Sulley Muntari celebrated his 250th match in Serie A by giving Milan the lead in the 55th minute with a looping volley from beyond the area after a cross from Honda was headed away.

Honda made the game safe in the 78th when he curled a 30-metre free kick around the wall which beat Chievo goalkeeper Francesco Bardi at his near post.

Having scored only one goal in Serie A last season after joining Milan in January, Honda is thriving in the more attacking system under new coach Filippo Inzaghi.

“He’s a serious professional. He always arrives at training two hours early, which I appreciate,” Inzaghi said. “I’m happy for him because he deserves the applause from our fans.”

Milan’s third win of the season moved them to 11 points and provisional fifth place, four points behind leading pair Juventus and AS Roma.

Verona also have 11 points after an 89th minute goal from Panagiotis Tachtsidis gave them a 1-0 win over Cagliari, who were unable to repeat the performance which saw them win 4-1 at Inter Milan a week ago.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2014