Milan 1-0 Roma: Pavlovic scores winner, Dybala's pen saved by Maignan

AC Milan secured a huge three points at San Siro on Sunday night, scoring the solitary goal of a hard-fought contest to beat Roma 1-0.

Given how good both sides have been defensively this season, it probably needed something a bit different to provide the winning moment, and it came from Strahinja Pavlovic. The centre-back bombed forward to support a counter-attack, and was rewarded by being on the end of a Rafael Leao cut-back.

In a second half full of clashes and missed chances, Paulo Dybala had a huge chance to give Roma a share of the spoils, yet he failed to beat Mike Maignan from the penalty spot with 10 minutes remaining.

The result means that Milan go above Roma in the table and manage to keep pace with those at the top, going one point behind the league-leaders Napoli too.

The first chance of the game fell to Roma inside 60 seconds, and to the former Milan man Bryan Cristante. A bad giveaway from Mike Maignan saw the ball worked to the midfielder – playing a relatively new role behind the two strikers – who placed a shot wide of the right post.

Roma’s bright start to the game continued as they were inches away from taking the lead in the 10th minute. A free-kick from the left was recycled and crossed from the right, with N’Dicka rising highest but glancing just wide of the far stick.

Milan could barely get a foothold in the game as they continued to cough up possession in their own half and suffer Roma pressure. Wesley had a snapshot on goal from a narrow angle that Maignan saved quite comfortably, but the warning signs were flashing.

Match Events

39' GOAL! Milan 1-0 Roma (Strahinja Pavlović)

82' Penalty Missed!  (Paulo Dybala)

Line-ups

Milan XI: Modric, Maignan, Nkunku, Gabbia, Leao, Alexis Saelemaekers, Samuele Ricci, Youssouf Fofana, S. Pavlovic, Koni De Winter, Davide Bartesaghi

Subs: Pietro Terracciano, Loftus-Cheek, Tomori, Pervis Estupiñán, Ardon Jashari, D. Odogu, Zachary Athekame, Alex Castiello, Matteo Pittarella

Roma XI: Dybala, Cristante, Hermoso, Zeki Çelik, Mile Svilar, G. Mancini, N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, Manu Koné, Matías Soulé, Wesley Vinícius França Lima

Subs: El Shaarawy, Gollini, Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk, Tsimikas, Bailey, Devis Vásquez, Devyne Rensch, Tommaso Baldanzi, Daniele Ghilardi, Niccolò Pisilli, Jan Ziolkowski