Kessie’s last-gasp penalty secures draw for Milan against Udinese
MILAN: Franck Kessie scored a 97th-minute penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw for AC Milan at home to Udinese on Wednesday, giving Serie A leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull six points clear at the top.
Rodrigo Becao’s second-half header at the San Siro completely deceived Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Stefano Pioli’s faltering side looked destined for a third defeat in four games.
But a needless handball from Udinese substitute Jens Stryger Larsen offered Milan a lifeline, with Ivorian international Kessie converting the penalty with the final kick of the match.
Milan struggled to create many genuine chances in the absence of top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swede sidelined by a groin injury picked up in last weekend’s victory over Roma.
Ibrahimovic will miss Milan’s trip to his former club Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie, but of greater concern is the club’s dip in form domestically.
Udinese goalkeeper Juan Musso made good saves from Kessie and Samuel Castillejo early in the second half, but it was the visitors who should have taken the lead when Ilija Nestorovski’s header was cleared off the line brilliantly by Alessio Romagnoli.
Brazilian centre-back Becao nodded Udinese ahead at a corner on 68 minutes, Donnarumma seemingly distracted by two players jostling in front of him as the ball floated past the Milan keeper.
However, the hosts snatched a point at the death through Kessie to stay within three of city rivals Inter ahead of their game away to Parma on Thursday.
ATALANTA ROLL, ROMA BOUNCE BACK: Robin Gosens, Jose Luis Palomino, Luis Muriel, Josip Ilicic and Aleksei Miranchuk all scored for Atalanta in a 5-1 rout of botom club Crotone.
Atalanta occupy the final Champions League spot and are two points clear of Roma, who needed a late winner from Amadou Diawara to secure a 2-1 victory at Fiorentina ater Leonardo Spinazzola had scored at both ends.
Francesco Caputo’s stoppage-time penalty earned Sassuolo a dramatic 3-3 draw against Napoli, as Gennaro Gatuso’s side dropped vital points in the race for the Champions League places.
Italian League results on Wednesday:
Sassuolo 3 (Maksimovic 36-og, Berardi 45+1-pen, Caputo 90+5-pen) Napoli 3 (Zielinski 38, Di Lorenzo 72, Insigne 90-pen)
AC Milan 1 (Kessie 90+7-pen) Udinese 1 (Becao 68) Atalanta 5 (Gosens 12, Palomino 48, Muriel 50, Ilicic 58, Miranchuk 85) Crotone 1 (Simy 23) Benevento 0 Hellas Verona 3 (Faraoni 25, Foulon 34-og, Lasagna 50)
Cagliari 1 (Rugani 19) Bologna 0 Fiorentina 1 (Spinazzola 60-og) Roma 2 (Spinazzola 49, Diawara 88)
Genoa 1 (Zappacosta 52) Sampdoria 1 (Tonelli 77)