Roma-Milan 1-1: goals from Abraham in the 94th minute and Saelemaekers in the 97th minute

The direct clash for the Champions League ends without winners or losers, with the challenge that ignites incredibly in injury time. One to one: the Olimpico first goes crazy with joy at Abraham’s winning diagonal, then remains silent at Saelemaekers’ equaliser. The ranking says that Milan and Roma are still tied in fourth place (and in case of equal points finish between the two teams it will be necessary to observe the overall goal difference as the first parameter) with Inter who could catch them in case of success against Lazio. Traffic from the Champions League: Pioli had said it (“it’s worth double at the Olimpico”) but his Milan weren’t able to completely unhinge the Romanist wall. Mourinho, on the other hand, had put his hands up just a few minutes from the match: «It’s one thing to have this team at its maximum potential, it’s another to have it with problems. We are in a decisive moment and we are also in a moment of difficulty ». Milan had presented themselves in an announced formation, with the eleven type of Pioli. Roma, on the other hand, offered an unprecedented variant: Mou experimented with the double center forward, with Belotti alongside Abraham. Among the other surprises also Celik for Zalewski.

Wait

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Rome awaits. Milan timidly tries. The first half doesn’t offer many more ideas. The main news is not stocks, but an injury and a yellow. It is Roma who lose another piece in defense, after Smalling (Dybala is on the bench as expected): Kumbulla is injured after a quarter of an hour of play, Bove comes on for him. In Milan yellow card for Tomori: he was among the cautioned, Pioli will lose him for the next match at San Siro against Cremonese. Ball possession after 45′ is clearly for the Rossoneri, with 65%. However, this command does not translate into dangerous actions. And for Roma, which remains more covered, it is the same: first half with no shots on goal, only one corner kick for Milan, six fouls called. Little of everything. The Giallorossi’s most tempting opportunity comes shortly after the half hour mark and on Pellegrini’s shot the rebound in front of Maignan is by…Abraham. At the end of time it is instead Calabria who tries the conclusion on the other side: powerful but imprecise.

Encore wait

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Something more happened in the second half: Roma escaped a couple of times in speed by exploiting some mistakes in the defensive disengagement. As usual, Milan tries to get to the area with construction. As in the first 45′ however, no decisive intervention by the goalkeepers. The second half had also opened with a change in Milan: out Tomori (he had risked being replaced earlier, to be “landed” badly after an air intervention) in Thiaw, rewarded (on Kalulu) also for the physicality to oppose Roma on set pieces. In the Giallorossi who came back from the changing rooms there is El Shaarawy for Belotti. The former Rossoneri is the first to arrive in front of Maignan, who comes out easy to anticipate him. For Milan, the clearest chance is for another substitute: Saelemaekers (for Diaz) volleys from Leao’s cross, slightly raising the trajectory. In Rome’s second attempt at speed, it is Kjaer who blocks Pellegrini. Pioli’s card in the middle of the second half is De Ketelaere, and in the final Origi (in place of Giroud, who shortly before had been desperate for a free-kick from the edge deflected by the barrier). The wait is rewarded by a spectacular finish: four minutes after the 90th minute, Abraham brings the whole team under South, to celebrate the angled right foot with which he beats Maignan (Kalulu gets caught). However, the party lasted less than four minutes: a cross from Leao (who was on the ground disconsolately with his arms crossed only a few moments before), a deflection from two steps by Saelemaekers for the final draw, with the ball between Rui Patricio’s legs. At the Olimpico now only away Milan fans sing.