MILAN — In an intense Serie A matchup on Saturday, AC Milan made significant roster changes, played with ten men, yet still managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Udinese. This win allowed Milan to move ahead of Udinese, claiming third place in the league standings.
The Rossoneri were without Theo Hernández due to suspension and made the decision to drop Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, and Rafael Leão from the starting lineup. The challenges mounted for Milan when midfielder Tijjani Reijnders received a straight red card in the 29th minute, placing the team at a disadvantage.
Despite the setbacks, Samuel Chukwueze put Milan ahead in the 13th minute, thanks to an assist from Christian Pulisic, who has been instrumental for the team. Milan managed to maintain their lead in a match where Udinese had two goals disallowed for offside, the latter coming late in stoppage time.
Prior to this match, Milan had suffered a 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina before the international break, with both Hernández and Abraham missing penalty opportunities. Following that game, Hernández was dismissed after the full-time whistle for a verbal confrontation with the referee, resulting in a two-match suspension.
The reshuffled Milan side began the game with vigor and quickly found their rhythm. A thrilling run down the left by Noah Okafor set up Pulisic, who delivered the ball to Chukwueze, enabling him to find the back of the net with precision.
Pulisic has shown remarkable consistency, contributing to at least one goal in seven consecutive league games, including five goals and three assists.
Milan’s offensive momentum shifted when Reijnders was dismissed for a foul on Sandi Lovric, who was on the verge of a scoring chance. Just before halftime, Kingsley Ehizibue came agonizingly close to equalizing for Udinese, only to be ruled offside by a razor-thin margin.
Pulisic nearly increased Milan’s lead in the 75th minute, but his shot was expertly saved by Udinese’s goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. Shortly after entering the field, Abraham sustained a shoulder injury while attempting to convert the rebound and had to leave the game.
In the dying minutes, Udinese appeared to have scored again when Christian Kabasele headed in a rebound. However, a VAR check ruled the goal offside after an intricate buildup involving tight margins.
In another Serie A clash, Genoa staged a remarkable comeback, with Andrea Pinamonti scoring twice in the second half to level the score against Bologna at 2-2. Bologna, who look to secure an important win ahead of their Champions League match against Aston Villa next week, initially took a strong lead with goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard.
Meanwhile, Como managed to earn a 1-1 draw against Parma in a match featuring two promoted teams.