AC Milan edge AS Roma in thriller to maintain Serie A title race alive

AC Milan returned to kind with an enthralling 2-1 victory away to AS Roma on Sunday that restored a four-point hole to Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
The guests hit the bar and had two objectives disallowed earlier than Franck Kessie scored from the penalty spot to present them a deserved halftime lead.
Roma, who additionally had a purpose chalked off within the first half, rapidly responded after the break when midfielder Jordan Veretout curled in his tenth league purpose of the season.
But an excellent flip and end from Ante Rebic put the guests again in entrance after 58 minutes they usually held on regardless of late stress from the hosts.
The victory ends a four-match winless run in all competitions for Stefano Pioli’s facet, whose hopes of a primary Serie A title in 10 years suffered a blow following back-to-back league defeats to Spezia and Inter.
“I told the team that two negative games can’t make us lose the confidence we built together for over a year,” Pioli advised Sky Italia.
“We hoped to do better in recent weeks, but we’re happy to get this important victory.”

Let’s give the lads a giant spherical of applause 👏
Solo applausi per i ragazzi stasera 👏#RomaMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/aja3RwklZx
— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 28, 2021
Milan stay second on 52 factors, 4 behind Inter and 6 forward of Juventus in third, whereas Roma stay fifth with 44 factors.
The stress was on the guests to get a consequence after Inter’s 3-0 win over Genoa earlier on Sunday opened up a seven-point hole between the highest two.
Milan got here out firing as Fikayo Tomori’s end after three minutes was dominated out for offside and Zlatan Ibrahimovic back-heeled a shot broad of an open purpose.
Rebic unselfishly opted to go to Ibrahimovic when by way of on purpose, however the Swede was offside as he slotted into an empty internet and the purpose was chalked off.
Milan defender Simon Kjaer crashed a header off the bar, earlier than Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s headed equaliser was dominated out due to a Gianluca Mancini foul within the build-up.
Referee Marco Guida awarded Milan a penalty following a VAR assessment after Federico Fazio trod on Davide Calabria’s foot on the sting of the field, and Kessie stepped as much as dispatch the spot kick.

What a end! 💪#ASRoma #RomaMilan pic.twitter.com/4nKVZeNVun
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) February 28, 2021
Veretout curled an excellent end into the far prime nook 5 minutes into the second half, however Milan quickly responded as Rebic left Mancini for lifeless with a neat flip earlier than drilling residence a low shot.
The guests had no luck with accidents as Hakan Calhanoglu, Rebic and Ibrahimovic have been all pressured off with muscular points.
Chances fell at each ends throughout a frantic finish to the sport and Roma have been livid to not be awarded a penalty when Theo Hernandez received in a tangle with Mkhitaryan within the field, however Guida gave a foul towards the Armenian.