AC Milan blew their chance to put pressure on the two teams above them in Serie A as Riccardo Orsolini’s late penalty snatched a 2-2 draw for Bologna in an eventful clash at the San Siro.
2023/2024 Serie A
2-2
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
0' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
3' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
16' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
20' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
22' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
26' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
29' GOAL! Milan 0-1 Bologna (Joshua Zirkzee)
33' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
36' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
41' Red Card! Motta sent off
42' Penalty Missed! (Olivier Giroud)
44' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
45' GOAL! Milan 1-1 Bologna (Ruben Loftus-Cheek)
47' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
49' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
52' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
60' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
64' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
70' Highlight from Milan vs Bologna
74' Penalty Missed! (Theo)
81' Match Event for Milan vs Bologna
83' GOAL! Milan 2-1 Bologna (Ruben Loftus-Cheek)
90' Penalty Goal! Milan 2-2 Bologna (Orsolini)
Match Report
The hosts missed two penalties of their own but still looked set to take the three points when Ruben Loftus-Cheek headed his second goal of the game with just seven minutes left on the clock.
Loftus-Cheek had earlier cancelled out an opener from Joshua Zirkzee, but Milan’s wasteful spot-kicks cost them with both Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez failing to convert for the third-placed side.
Play at the San Siro had been stopped in the 16th minute in support of Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who suffered racial abuse in their match at Udinese last weekend.
Fans lit up the stadium with smartphone torches while a quote from Martin Luther King – “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that” – was shown on a big screen.
Milan were intent on a fifth straight win to close the gap on city rivals Inter, and Rafael Leao had the first real chance in the 19th minute when he fired straight at Bologna keeper Lukasz Skorupski.
But the lively visitors were rewarded for their early ambition in the 29th minute when Zirkzee lashed home a loose ball after Milan failed to clear around the edge of their box.
Milan responded through Simon Kjaer who fired over the bar from a dangerous Christian Pulisic cross, then Pulisic himself missed an opportunity after being played in by Loftus-Cheek.
Milan were awarded their first penalty in the 39th minute for a foul by Lewis Ferguson on Kjaer, but Giroud missed his chance with a soft spot-kick that was comfortably gathered by Skorupski.
But the hosts’ frustrations only lasted six minutes before Loftus-Cheek raced onto a cross from the left to grab his third goal in his last four games.
Zirkzee had two good chances to put the visitors back in front, while Tijjani Reijnders hit the woodwork before the hosts amazingly squandered another spot-kick.
With Giroud having been substituted, Theo Hernandez stepped up, but hit the post after Riccardo Calafiori had been penalised for his challenge on Leao.
Milan finally grabbed the lead for the first time in the 83rd minute when Loftus-Cheek rose highest to head past Skorupski and seemingly set his side on their way to another three points.
But there was to be a final twist and after Victor Kristiansen came close to levelling, Bologna were awarded a penalty of their own on the stroke of full-time, which Orsolini showed the hosts how it was done with a firm low strike.
Line-ups
Milan XI: Kjaer, Giroud, Maignan, Loftus-Cheek, Calabria, Theo, Pulisic, Gabbia, Yacine Adli, Tijjani Reijnders, Leao
Subs: Mirante, Florenzi, Sportiello, Jovic, Noah Okafor, Yunus Musah, Marco Pellegrino, Filippo Terracciano, Chaka Traorè, Jan-Carlo Simic, Álex Jiménez, Kevin Zeroli
Bologna XI: De Silvestri, Skorupski, Freuler, Michel Aebischer, Sam Beukema, Lewis Ferguson, Joshua Zirkzee, Calafiori, Victor Kristiansen, Kacper Urbanski, Giovanni Fabbian
Subs: Charalampos Lykogiannis, Nikola Moro, Jhon Lucumí, Orsolini, Jesper Karlsson, Federico Ravaglia, Alexis Saelemaekers, Nicola Bagnolini, Tommaso Corazza, Mihajlo Ilic