AC Milan 1-1 Cremonese: Junior Messias scores injury-time equaliser to snatch draw for Milan

AC Milan scored a last-gasp equaliser to draw 1-1 with relegation-threatened Cremonese in Serie A.

Stefano Pioli’s side thought they had taken the lead after 11 minutes when Alexis Saelemaekers latched onto a long ball before expertly firing past Marco Carnesecchi but the goal was ruled out for offside following VAR’s intervention.

Milan had a huge chance to take the lead after 20 minutes when Soualiho Meite played an underhit pass to his goalkeeper which Charles De Ketelaere latched onto, the 22-year-old tried to go around Carnesecchi but the goalkeeper was equal to it and palmed away the attempt.

The hosts missed another huge chance on the hour mark, Saelemaekers did brilliantly down the right-hand side to find space before standing up a cross to the back post where Brahim Diaz was waiting with the goal gaping but the Spaniard somehow put his header wide.

Just two minutes later Cremonese missed an almost identical chance to Diaz’s for Milan. The ball was hung up for Emanuele Valeri at the back post but he too put his header wide and the game remained goalless.

Pioli put out a weakened starting XI but turned to the bench to bring on Olivier Giroud, Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali in the hopes of finding a goal.

Cremonese opened the scoring completely against the run of play in the 77th minute, David Okereke was released by Pablo Galdames and the 25-year-old did superbly to turn away from two Milan defenders before slotting past Mike Maignan. It was Cremonese’s first shot on target and as the clock ticked down it looked to have been the goal to give Cremonese their first ever win at the San Siro against AC Milan.

But Junior Messias fired in a low free-kick on the edge of the penalty area which deflected off Johan Vasquez and past Marco Carnesecchi to deny Cremonense what would have been a famous win.

Charles Pickel was given a straight record with just seconds to go after appearing to punch Sandro Tonali.

TALKING POINT – DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

Defending champions Milan continue to disappoint in Serie A and tonight’s result could be one that has serious repercussions on their top-four hopes. Stefano Pioli’s side have won just two of their last nine in the league and they have now dropped to sixth place in the table.

It’s hard to believe when we see a lacklustre and lethargic Milan side in Serie A that it’s the very same team that is currently a Champions League semi-finalist. The Rossoneri have a hectic season-defining May schedule that will see them play Lazio, Inter twice in the Champions League, Spezia, Sampdoria and Juventus within a 21-day period, and Pioli will be hoping his side can start showing some of their European form in the league or risk missing out on a Champions League place.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – MARCO CARNESECCHI (CREMONESE)

The 22-year-old goalkeeper put in another really strong performance between the sticks for Cremonese and we could be hearing his name a lot more of in the coming years. He was solid all evening for his side making four saves, three high claims and completing 11 accurate long passes to get his side up the pitch. He will be disappointed to have conceded right at the death but once the ball took a deflection off his own player there was very little he could have done to prevent it. A solid performance from the young keeper.

PLAYER RATINGS

Milan: Maignan 6, Calabria 7, Thiaw 6, Kalulu 6, Ballo-Toure 6, Bennacer 6, Vranckx 6, Saelemaekers 7, De Ketelaere 6, Diaz 6, Origi 6

Subs: Leao 6, Krunic 6, Messias 7, Tonali 7, Giroud 6

Cremonese: Carnesecchi 8, Sernicola 7, Chiriches 7, Lochoshvili 6, Vasquez 6, Meite 6, Pickel 5, Buoanaiuto 6, Galdames 6, Benassi 6, Felix Afena-Gyan 6

Subs: Okereke 7, Valeri 6, Ferrari 6, Ghiglione 6, Castagnetti 6

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

11′ GOAL – MILAN – Milan have taken the lead early on at the San Siro! Saelemaekers latches onto a long ball over the top before expertly guiding it past Carnesecchi.

13′ NO GOAL – OFFSIDE – The goal has been ruled out for offside.

20′ A HUGE SAVE FROM CARNESECCHI – A chance is given to Charles De Ketelaere but he cannot make it count. Meite played a short pass back to the goalkeeper which De Ketelaere latched onto before trying to round the goalkeeper but Carnesecchi was equal to it. A huge wasted opportunity from a player still yet to score his first goal for Milan.

60′ DIAZ HAS MISSED A SITTER – Saelemaekers does superbly down the right-hand side and finds space to stand up a ball to the back post, all Brahim Diaz had to do was head it on target for a certain goal but he instead headed it wide.

62′ VALERI HAS MISSED A HUGE CHANCE! – Just like Brahim Diaz’s chance just seconds ago, this time Valeri is at the back post and he fires his header over too!

77′ GOAL – CREMONESE – Can you believe it! The away side have went 1-0 up with their first shot on target! David Okereke does magnificently to turn away from two Milan defenders before slotting past Maignan!

90+3 GOAL – AC MILAN – Milan have equalised and denied Cremonese what would have been a historic victory. Messias fired in a low free kick and it came off Vasquez for an own goal.

KEY STAT

Cremonese have avoided defeat in both matches of a Serie A season against AC Milan for the first time ever.