Serie A, Milan 1-1 Salernitana: Boulaye Dia dents Rossoneri’s top-four bid

Slip-ups
from
Inter,
Lazio
and
Roma
gave
Milan
the
chance
to
strike
an
important
blow
in
the
Champions
League
race
on
Monday,
and
they
looked
set
to
do
so
when
Giroud
headed
the
opener
on
the
stroke
of
half-time.

However,
Salernitana
hit
back
through
Dia
just
after
the
hour
mark,
before
a
VAR
review
denied
Milan
a
penalty
when
Ismael
Bennacer
went
down
easily
under
Domagoj
Bradaric’s
challenge.

The
result
means
Milan
remain
fourth,
just
a
point
clear
of
fifth-placed
Roma
in
a
tense
battle
for
Champions
League
qualification.

While
Milan
dominated
possession
from
the
off,
Salernitana
kept
them
quiet
until
the
half-hour
mark,
when
Giroud
sent
a
trademark
overhead
kick
narrowly
over
the
crossbar.

Salernitana
then
squandered
two
chances
on
the
break,
with
Grigoris
Kastanos’ effort
deflecting
wide
after
a
loose
pass
from
Mike
Maignan,
before
the
Milan
goalkeeper
made
a
fine
last-ditch
challenge
to
prevent
Dia
rounding
him.

The
visitors’ resistance
was
broken
just
before
half-time
as
Giroud
met
Bennacer’s
corner
at
the
near
post
to
glance
a
header
into
the
bottom-left
corner.

Salernitana
hit
back
after
the
restart
as
Bradaric
led
a
Salernitana
break
down
the
left,
with
his
driven
cross
turned
beyond
Maignan
by
a
stretching
Dia.

Milan
threw
on
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
in
search
of
a
winner
and
saw
referee
Federico
La
Penna
reverse
a
decision
to
award
them
a
spot-kick,
while
Guillermo
Ochoa
denied
Divock
Origi
with
a
fine
save
late
on.

Ochoa
was
involved
again
as
Milan
went
agonisingly
close
to
a
winner
late
on,
somehow
clawing
the
ball
away
from
the
goal
line
following
a
scramble.