In order to overcome Spezia’s resistance and pass Atalanta in the Serie A table, moving Milan second with a six-point gap from Napoli, Milan had to survive Daniel Maldini’s attempted parricide on Saturday night. To do this, Milan turned to an Olivier Giroud masterpiece goal.
Stefano Pioli’s team led 1-0 at the break thanks to Theo Hernandez’s superb control and finish from deep in the box, but Milan had more than enough chances to put the game away in the first half and really should have been in the clear.
Daniel Maldini’s second-half goal, a lovely curling effort, against his parent and childhood team was a remarkable moment, but Olivier Giroud, who had just entered the game off the bench, came on to win it with a brilliant volley before getting sent off for taking his shirt off. As a result, the Rossoneri, who still trail Napoli by six points after Atalanta’s loss to them earlier in the evening, have moved into second place.
With Junior Messias starting on the right wing, Rade Krunic starting in midfield, Brahim Diaz starting as the attacking midfielder, and Divock Origi starting up front, Pioli made four changes to the starting lineup from the 4-0 victory over Red Bull Salzburg midweek.
Brahim Diaz quickly moved the ball out to Rafael Leao on the left wing for Milan, and the winger wound up a quick cross that was sent looping wide in the first minute.
The Rossoneri continued to have the better scoring opportunities in the opening minutes, and in the sixth minute Brahim will feel he should have done better when he fired from just over 20 yards out that nearly reached the second tier despite being in an open area.
After Jakub Kiwior’s long-range shot, Spezia had a strong run of their own during which the Italian team forced Ciprian Tatarusanu to make his first significant save of the match, and the Romanian had to parry in response to Mattia Caldara’s near-post flick from a corner.
Fikayo Tomori had sprinted up from his own half when Leao went on a brilliant run, dodging numerous challenges to get into the box and square to him, but Dragowski stopped his low shot.
Rade Krunic shaken the woodwork with a fierce half-volley from within the box after a cross was cleared to him, and afterwards Leao crossed for Brahim Diaz, whose header at the far post was once more saved. Pioli’s team continued to create chances. Then Junior Messias tried his luck from a distance, forcing Dragowski to palm a sharp shot over the crossbar.
Milan did take the lead after 21 minutes, but the goal wasn’t awarded until 26 minutes later after what must have been the longest VAR review ever. Ismael Bennacer played a beautiful ball over the top, and Theo Hernandez chested it down and stabbed it in from close range after clearly being played onside by Kiwior.
Kalulu’s mistake while attempting to play out from the back gave Milan a scare, but Krunic was there to stop Daniel Maldini in the penalty area. Up top, Bennacer almost gave Theo another assist, but the ball was easily saved after the Frenchman hit it across goal with a dinked ball over the top.
Just before halftime, Tatarusanu had a close call when he rushed 20 yards off his line to try and beat Nzola to a long ball over the top. Despite being second to the Angolan, the latter sliced his attempt behind from a tight angle as he rushed to get a shot off.
Prior to the break, chaos reigned as Milan should have increased their lead by two goals and then drawn even. Leao’s left-footed shot was deflected by Caldara onto the crossbar, and Krunic’s follow-up attempt was desperately cleared. Meanwhile, at the other end, Nzola had a wonderful opportunity to tie the score when a low cross found him six yards out, but he reacted slowly and missed the opportunity.
Despite the fact that the Algerian had essentially controlled the game from midfield, Pioli made an unexpected change at the half, replacing Bennacer with Sandro Tonali.
The second half for Milan got off to a better start as Dragowski had to make two saves in the first five minutes, the first from a curling Messias shot and the second from a low Origi shot that was heading for the far corner.
Ekdal’s close-range header from Holm’s cross served as a reminder that everyone was still on edge even though the score was 1-0. He should have hit the mark, but he shot wide instead.
Shortly after that missed opportunity, Daniel Maldini scored against his old team with a stunning finish, making it a truly remarkable moment. On the left side of the box, he picked up the ball and curled a shot around two defenders, which Tatarusanu did nothing but watch land inside the far post.
Five minutes after Spezia had equalised, there was more VAR drama when Milan thought they had regained the lead when Sandro Tonali swept a shot into the top corner from 25 yards out following Origi’s pass. However, the review revealed that Tomori had fouled Nzola in the buildup, and it was chalked off following a thorough investigation.
Milan made three substitutions in the 71st minute, replacing Messias, Origi, and Brahim Diaz with Olivier Giroud, Charles De Ketelaere, and Ante Rebic.
Eight minutes before the end of the 90, there was a flashpoint when Nzola tangled with Tonali and then Theo Hernandez before a large group of players from both teams started shoving and pushing. Theo will miss the following game after receiving a yellow card, and Giroud and Nzola were also cautioned.
Milan put more and more bodies forward as the clock ran out, with Caldara rightfully celebrating a brilliant save to stop De Ketelaere after Giroud’s knock-down found him at the far post.
Milan regained the lead in the final minute of regulation time thanks to brilliant substitute Giroud. Due to Kalulu’s challenge, Milan was able to regain possession of the ball deep inside Spezia’s half. Tonali then delivered a beautiful cross into the box where the French striker was waiting to finish with an absolutely stunning volley.
The final opportunity of the contest was lost to the opposition as Tatarusanu gratefully collected a corner kick that had the potential to go anywhere.
With a minute remaining in regulation, Giroud’s acrobatic volley gave Milan the win at San Siro after an incredible game of ups and downs. After the break, Spezia regained its momentum and put the hosts on the back foot before Maldini, who was on loan from the Rossoneri, managed to equalise.
Following a frenetic period in which both teams threw everything they had into finding the winner, Tonali appeared to seal the deal with a first-time strike from 20 yards out shortly after the hour. That goal was disallowed due to a foul in the buildup, but he wouldn’t back down, giving Giroud the winning assist with a fantastically clinical strike volleyed in with his left boot from a tight angle. The forward’s happiness quickly turned to sorrow when he received a second yellow card for taking off his shirt in celebration, but the Rossoneri held on to win and earn the three points necessary to move up to second. The defeat maintains Spezia’s three-point lead over the
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