Milan suffered a second straight winless result as they were held by Udinese to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza today.
The Rossoneri started well and Rafael Leao put them ahead just before the half-hour mark. However, Udinese were far from willing to sit back and defend, and they often attacked, eventually scoring their equalizer thanks to substitute Destiny Udogie. The Rossoneri tried to find a winner but the opposition backline combined with their own lack of lethality upfront prevented them from doing so.
Stefano Pioli will be far from pleased with the result but Gabriele Cioffi will be glad with the point.
Starting XIs: Both Teams Make One Change Each
Both sides made just one change each from their previous. Franck Kessie was back in the starting XI for Milan, replacing the suspended Ismael Bennacer who was booked against Salernitana last weekend.
The only change Udinese change to their lineup was starting Marvin Zeegelaar at the expense of Brandon Soppy.
Leao Opens the Scoring for Milan
Milan were on the attack from the very first minute and threatened the Udinese backline after just 15 seconds. However, nothing came of it. The visitors refused to sit back and it took an important intervention from Fikayo Tomori to prevent a scoring chance.
Milan found their opening goal just before the half-hour mark thanks to Leao who brilliantly controlled a pass from Sandro Tonalo before finding the back of the net. The Rossoneri tried to double their lead but the Udinese backline was resilient enough to thwart them until the end of the first half.
Udogie Salvages a Point for Udinese
Udinese were eager to get back on level terms and they looked to have a good chance early in the second half when Nehuen Perez sent a good ball towards Beto. However, the 24-year-old was unable to get a touch. The Friulani eventually found their equalizer after Udogie found the net following an acrobatic attempt from Roberto Pereyra.
Milan were keen to restore their lead and tried to attack as much as they could. However, the Udinese backline was compact. The Friulani also put pressure on the hosts’ backline and had a very good scoring opportunity towards the end of the match through Gerard Deulofeu. However, Mike Maignan made a crucial save to deny him.
Eventually, neither team could find a winner and the points were shared. Milan remai at the top of the Serie A table but their second successive draw could see them drop to second if Napoli win their match against Lazio on Sunday. If Inter win their match against Genoa, they will be tied on points with Milan. However, the Nerazzurri have a game in hand. So there is a chance Milan could be third once the top three teams in the table have played the same number of matches.
What’s Next for Milan and Udinese
Milan take on rivals Inter in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal tie on Tuesday. The Rossoneri have been in fine form lately and will fancy their chances against the Nerazzurri. Udinese will host Sampdoria next weekend and will look to beat Marco Giampaolo’s side to put themselves well above the relegation zone.
MATCH SCORECARD
February 25, 2022 – Serie A 2021-2022 Round 27
MILAN – UDINESE 1-1
SCORERS: 29′ Rafael Leao (M), 66′ Udogie (U)
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MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Tonali, Kessie; Messias (65′ Saelemakers), Brahim Diaz (85′ Maldini), Rafael Leao; Giroud (66′ Rebic) (Tatarusanu, Ballo-Toure, Castillejo, Kalulu, Florenzi, Krunic, Bakayoko, Gabbia, Mirante) Coach: Pioli |
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UDINESE (3-5-2): Silvestri; Becao, Mari, Perez; Zeegelaar (55′ Udogie), Arslan (90′ Jajalo), Walace, Makengo (Pereyra), Molina; Deulofeu, Beto (65′ Success) (Padelli, Pussetto, Samardzic, Ballarini, Benkovic, Nestorovski, Gasparini, Soppy) Coach: Cioffi |
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Perez (U), Becao (U), Rebic (M), Molina (U), Success (U), Leao (M); Added Time: 1st Half 1′, 2nd Half 5′