A year ago
AC Milan botched the opportunity to make strides on their opponents for a main four Serie A completion as Boulaye Dia offset Olivier Giroud's opener in a 1-1 draw with Salernitana at San Siro. Mistakes from Entomb, Lazio and Roma allowed Milan the opportunity to strike a significant blow in the Heroes Association race on Monday, and they looked set to do so when Giroud headed the opener on the stroke of half-time.
In any case, Salernitana hit back through Dia soon after the hour mark, before a VAR survey denied Milan a penalty when Ismael Bennacer went down effectively under Domagoj Bradaric's test. The outcome implies Milan stay fourth, simply a point clear of fifth-placed Roma in a strained fight for Champions Association capability.
While Milan ruled belonging from the off, Salernitana kept them calm until the half-hour mark, when Giroud sent a brand name above kick barely over the crossbar. Salernitana then, at that point, wasted two possibilities on the break, with Grigoris Kastanos' work redirecting wide after a free pass from Mike Maignan, before the Milan goalkeeper made a fine last-ditch challenge to forestall Dia adjusting him.
The guests' opposition was broken not long before half-time as Giroud met Bennacer's corner at the close to post to look a header into the base left corner. Salernitana hit back after the restart as Bradaric drove a Salernitana separate the left, with his determined cross turned past Maignan by an extending Dia. Milan tossed on Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking for a victor and saw official Federico La Penna switch a choice to grant them a spot-kick, while Guillermo Ochoa denied Divock Origi with a fine save late on.
Ochoa was involved again as Milan went excruciatingly near a champ late on, some way or another pawing the ball away from the objective line following a scramble.
What's the significance here? Rossoneri disappointed as top-four fight remains tight. Milan had been supported by routs for Bury and Roma, as well as Lazio's draw with Bologna, in front of Monday's down, with the bosses hoping to go level with the second-placed Nerazzurri in the wake of quickly returning from a critical beginning to 2023. Nonetheless, Stefano Pioli's men neglected to take care of Salernitana and were never altogether persuading at the back, and three focuses now separate four sides vieing for three Heroes Association spots.
Milan miss Tonali as Pioli makes notable choice. With Sandro Tonali dropping to the seat in the wake of beginning Wednesday's Heroes Association draw at Tottenham, Pioli turned into the main Milan supervisor to name a Serie A beginning XI without a solitary Italian player in the three-focuses for-a-win time (since the 1994-95 season).
Milan profoundly missed the midfielder as Salernitana kept away from rout at San Siro interestingly since their re-visitation of Serie A last season, having lost their earlier three visits to play the Rossoneri or Entomb by a joined 9-0 scoreline.
Milan looked set for triumph when Giroud scored his third headed objective of 2023 - the joint-most by any player in the main five European associations close by Victor Osimhen and Danilho Doekhi. Notwithstanding, Giroud was lacking help from his colleagues as Milan dropped focuses. Rafael Leao was scoffed by the home group at one phase as the Portugal forward neglected to stir things up around town with any of his five shots.
Milan will hope to return to winning ways when they visit Udinese in Serie An on Saturday, while Salernitana have Bologna around the same time.
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