AC Milan made very hard work of things against a struggling Spezia side at San Siro but a late goal from Olivier Giroud earned them all three points.
Milan had enough chances to put the game to bed in the first half and should have been out of sight in truth, though Theo Hernandez’s excellent control and finish deep in the box did send Stefano Pioli’s men in 1-0 up at the break.
There was a remarkable moment in the second half as Daniel Maldini equalised against his parent and boyhood club with a lovely curling effort, but it was Olivier Giroud who came off the bench to win it in the final moments with a superb volley before being sent off for taking his shirt off.
The result means that the Rossoneri have jumped into second spot after Atalanta lost to Napoli earlier in the evening, to whom their remains a six-point gap.
Pioli chose to make four changes to the starting line-up that beat Red Bull Salzburg 4-0 in midweek as Matteo Gabbia came into the back four, Rade Krunic started in midfield with Brahim Diaz the attacking midfielder, Junior Messias got the nod on the right wing and Divock Origi started up front.
Milan created some danger inside the opening minute as the ball was worked quickly out to Rafael Leao on the left wing through Brahim Diaz, and the winger wound up an early cross that was sent looping wide.
The Rossoneri continued to have the better of the early chances and in the sixth minute Brahim will feel that he should have done better when he let fly from just over 20 yards out and sent a shot nearly into the second tier despite being in space.
Spezia then had a good spell themselves in which they drew the first real save of the game from Ciprian Tatarusanu after Jakub Kiwior’s shot from range, and Mattia Caldara’s near post flick from a corner required the Romanian to make a reaction parry.
Leao went on a brilliant run evading multiple challenges to get into the box and square to the rather surprising figure of Fikayo Tomori who had sprinted up from is own half, but Dragowski denied his low shot.
The chances kept flowing for Pioli’s men as Rade Krunic rattled the woodwork with a fierce half volley from inside the box after a cross was cleared to him, and then Leao crossed for Brahim Diaz whose header at the far post was again saved. Junior Messias then tried his luck from distance and Dragowski was forced to palm a stinging shot over the bar.
Milan finally did take the lead in the 21st minute, but it took until the 26th minute for the goal to be given after what must be the longest check in VAR history. A lovely ball over the top from Ismael Bennacer was chested down by Theo Hernandez who stabbed home from close range having been played onside by Kiwior, clearly by the finest of margins.
Milan were given a scare when Kalulu made an error while trying to play out from the back, but Krunic was on hand to thwart Daniel Maldini in the penalty area. Up at the other end Bennacer nearly provided Theo with another assist as a dinked ball over the top was hit first time by the Frenchman across goal, but in the end it was easily saved.
Tatarusanu had a hairy moment just before the break as he came rushing 20 yards off his line to try and beat Nzola to a long ball over the top and was second to it yet the Angolan sliced his effort behind from a narrow angle as he rushed to get a shot off.
There was chaos before the break as Milan should have doubled their lead and then should have gone in level. A left-footed shot from Leao was deflected by Caldara’s onto the crossbar and Krunic’s follow-up was desperately cleared, while at the other end Nzola had a golden chance to level with a low cross that found him six yards out but he reacted late and flicked it wide.
A surprising change was made at the half-time interval by Pioli as Bennacer made way for Sandro Tonali despite the fact the Algerian had virtually run the game from the midfield.
Milan began the second half better as Dragowski was forced into two saved in the opening five minutes, the first from Messias’ curling effort and the second from a low Origi drive that was heading to the far corner.
While the game was 1-0 there was still a feeling of being on edge and Ekdal reminded everyone why as he stole in for a near post header from Holm’s cross. He should have hit the target but directed it wide.
A simply remarkable moment came not long after that missed chance as Daniel Maldini scored against his boyhood club with a beautiful finish. He picked of the ball on the left side of the box and curled an effort around two defenders that Tatarusanu simply watched nestle inside the far post.
There was more VAR drama five minutes after Spezia had levelled as Milan thought they had got themselves back into the lead when Sandro Tonali swept a shot into the top corner from 25 yards out from Origi’s pass, however the review showed that Tomori had fouled Nzola in the build-up and it was chalked off after a lengthy check.
A triple change came in the 71st minute from Milan as Olivier Giroud, Charles De Ketelaere and Ante Rebic came on for Origi, Brahim Diaz and Messias.
There was a flashpoint eight minutes before the end of the 90 as Nzola clashed initially with Tonali and then with Theo Hernandez before a big group of players from both sides started pushing and shoving. Theo was given a yellow card so will miss the next game, while Giroud and Nzola also went into the book.
As the minutes ticked down Milan committed more and more bodies forward, with Caldara rightly celebrating a phenomenal block to deny De Ketelaere after Giroud’s knock-down found him at the far post.
In the final minute of normal time, Milan got themselves back into the lead through super substitute Giroud. Milan won the ball back deep inside Spezia’s half thanks to Kalulu’s challenge and Tonali clipped a gorgeous cross into the box where the French striker was waiting to finish with a simply stunning volley.
The last chance of the game went to the away side as a corner was flicked on and was gratefully grasped by Tatarusanu after a ricochet that could have taken the ball anywhere.
