Milan score the winner in the last minute

The title race is not over — AC Milan still have something to hope for, they can still chase the Scudetto. And for that, everyone in the team should thank Strahinja Pavlović. Especially the forwards, who squandered an enormous number of chances away at US Cremonese. When the pressure was at its peak, the Serbian defender bailed them out, and in stoppage time Rafael Leao sealed the win — 2–0 (0–0). The Rossoneri are still in the race with Inter Milan solely thanks to Pavlovic. The attackers missed countless opportunities — Massimiliano Allegri could hardly believe what they had wasted. A short combination, a cross from the left by Modric, and the Serbian international instinctively sensed where he needed to be. He truly has a good nose for goal — literally. Koni De Winter slightly deflected the ball, and amid the scramble it struck Pavlović in the face before bouncing off his right shoulder and rolling into the net in the 90th minute. The situation was reviewed, VAR was consulted, and the decision stood — everything was clean. There was no handball, much to the relief of Allegri, who had been pacing the touchline like a caged lion. The relief was visible among the forwards as well, especially in stoppage time when Leao finished off a counterattack unselfishly set up by Christopher Nkunku.

Leao had been tense up to that point, making poor decisions and missing two big chances. In the first half, he burst behind the Cremonese defense, capitalized on their sluggishness, lifted his head — and the ball — and sent it wide of the post. He failed to convert in a one-on-one situation and missed again later in the match. And he was not the only one nervous in front of goal. Emil Audero denied Christian Pulisic when he broke through one-on-one before halftime, and also did well to stop a long-range effort from Youssouf Fofana. Substitute Niclas Füllkrug also tested him but the former Sampdoria keeper saved everything thrown at him until the last minute. In the end, almost everything went the Rossoneri’s way — if not for the injury to Davide Bartesaghi just a minute before Strahinja Pavlović scored. The left wing-back had to be substituted, which is far from good news for AC Milan, with the Derby della Madonnina coming up. Milan desperately need a win in the derby because, despite managing to scrape through today, they still trail Inter Milan by as many as ten points. A significant gap as the Serie A title race enters its final third.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 27

Friday

Parma - Cagliari 1-1 (0-0)

/Oristanio 83 - Folorunsho 62/

Saturday

Como - Lecce 3-1 (3-1)

/Douvikas 18, Rodriguez 36, Kempf 44 - Coulibaly 13/

Verona - Napoli 1-2 (0-1)

/Akpa Akpro 64 - Hojlund 2, Lukaku 90+6/

Inter - Genoa 2-0 (1-0)

/Dimarco 31, Calhanoglu 70 pen/

Sunday

Cremonese - Milan 0-2 (0-0)

/Pavlovic 89, Leao 90+4/

17.00: (3.90) Sassuolo (3.60) Atalanta (2.00)

20.00: (2.85) Torino (2.95) Lazio (2.75)

22.45: (2.65) Roma (3.10) Juventus (3.00)

Monday

20.30: (4.00) Pisa (3.35) Bologna (2.05)

22.45: (3.25) Udinese (3.25) Fiorentina (2.40)

***odds are subject to change***