AC Milan 3-2 Parma: Two goals in added time complete magical San Siro comeback | OneFootball

AC Milan produced what can only be described as a miraculous comeback against Parma, scoring twice in added time to earn a 3-2 win at San Siro.

Parma twice led during the game through Matteo Cancellieri and Enrico Del Prato who scored either side of Christian Pulisic’s equaliser from the spot, and they looked to be on course for a league double over Milan.

However, in the six minutes of added time something magical happened. Tijjani Reijnders latched onto a Yunus Musah through ball to level it one-on-one, then a couple of minutes later Samuel Chukwueze bundled in a late winner off the bench.

It was an emotionally exhausting game in truth and one whereby the Gialloblu might feel a bit hard done by, but considering the other results already this weekend it is a three points of immense magnitude.

Sergio Conceicao made two changes to the starting line-up that beat Girona in midweek, with Christian Pulisic and Davide Calabria coming in for Ismael Bennacer (with Yunus Musah dropping back to midfield) and Emerson Royal respectively.

Parma started the game in 15th place in the table and just two points above the drop zone, but you would not have been able to tell based on the start to the game. The away side had plenty more of the ball, causing panic when a cross to Djuric was headed back across goal but thankfully not close enough to the arriving runner.

Milan then got themselves on top of the game and with a second consecutive corner in the 11th minute they should have taken the lead. A ball played down the left side was crossed and fell to Matteo Gabbia alone on the penalty spot, who swung at it fiercely but missed the ball almost entirely.

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The decision making continued to let Milan down whenever they got into the areas to hurt Parma inside the opening 20 minutes, though Rafael Leao felt that a penalty should have been given when he went down in a heap attempting to latch onto a cut-back from Theo, with nothing given.

At the mid-way point in the first half another opportunity went begging. Pulisic twisted and turned inside the box attempting to create room for a shot and when it was poked away to Leao’s feet many expected the net to ripple, yet he lashed it well over and wide from about 12 yards out.

Just like he did in the first meeting this season, Cancellieri scored against Milan and this time it was the opener. Theo was at fault as he has been a few times in recent weeks, slipping as a ball was switched to his side and then standing off the winger, who cut in onto his preferred left foot and curled it into the back of the net with Mike Maignan helpless.

It looked briefly as though Milan had found a very quick leveller when Youssouf Fofana charged forward and slipped Alvaro Morata in behind, with the Spaniard finishing nicely, yet he had strayed a yard offside in making his run and the flag rightly went up.

Ten minutes before the interval, Milan were given the chance to level from the spot and it was a bizarre spot kick to give away. As a corner came in from the left, Suzuki in the Parma game shoved Pavlovic to the floor with two hands before punching the ball, leaving the referee no choice but to point for a penalty.

Pulisic was the man who took on the responsibility from 12 yards and he buried it absolutely emphatically. Suzuki guessed the right way while trying to atone for his error, yet he didn’t even get close to it due to the power and precision.

Just moments after Tijjani Reijnders had seen a low attempt well saved by Suzuki, the moment that was feared came as Fofana dragged his man down on the counter and got a yellow card, which means he will miss the derby against Inter.

Conceicao made the rather bold decision to make a couple of changes at half-time with Davide Bartesaghi and Ismael Bennacer coming on, replacing Theo and Leao which made it interesting to see what the system might be.

Bartesaghi almost got himself straight into the action in the ideal way with a low cross to Morata that was flicked on goal and saved by Suzuki. The striker then went down while going for the rebound wanting a penalty, and there was a VAR check to confirm an offside given.

Hernani provided a reminder of the threat that he poses with shots from distance as he fizzed a rocket of a shot just over the crossbar from 25 yards out. Maignan was at full stretch and looked to have it covered if on target.

Just 11 minutes into the second half another two changes came with Morata and Fofana making way for Tammy Abraham and Samuel Chukwueze, an attacking switch from Conceicao.

On the hour mark Suzuki was called into action for the first time in the half, with Reijnders dribbling the ball forward and side-footing a shot that was heading towards the bottom right corner before being turned away.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Inside the final 20 minutes the game began to open up a bit, and Reijnders perhaps should have fed the ball just a few yards to his left inside the box where Bennacer was open rather than shooting, which was deflected over. At the other end, Maignan thwarted Almqvist who was bearing down on goal on the break but shot centrally.

Shortly after Calabria thumped a cross out of play that was nowhere near anyone, he was taken off in place of Luka Jovic.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, Parma got themselves back in front as they had threatened to on the counter. An awful giveaway while trying to keep possession at the back saw the visitors break, and a neat one-two allowed Camara to get in behind. Maignan saved well but the rebound fell to Delprato who tapped it in while slipping over.

As the fans began to get incredibly restless with the prospect of another league defeat beckoning, it looked like Milan had snatched a point when Pavlovic rose highest at the far post to head in a Chukwueze cross brilliantly. However, VAR intervened because of an offside, so it was back to panic stations.

In the second minute of six added on at the end of the game, Milan levelled and this time it counted. Reijnders made a darting run in behind that was found by a perfectly weighted through ball from Musah, and the Dutchman kept his composure when through on goal, slotting it past Suzuki at the near post.

Then, something even more miraculous happened as the Rossoneri got themselves a dramatic later winner in the fifth minute of added time. A cross from the left was met by the head of Pavlovic and the ball dropped in behind to Chukwueze who bundled it past Suzuki into the back of the net. A lengthy check for offside rendered the goal fair, and San Siro exploded.