Cremonese 0-2 AC Milan: Rossoneri strike twice late on to escape with three points

AC Milan left it late against Cremonese in the Sunday lunchtime kick-off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini, but they managed to emerge with three points right at the death.

After Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic had each missed big chances to put Milan a goal up in the first half, it looked like being another very frustrating afternoon for the Rossoneri, one which could bring a top four finish into severe jeopardy.

However, goals in the 90th and 94th minutes courtesy of Strahinja Pavlovic and Rafael Leao meant that Milan emerged with all three points from their short hop to Cremona, and the gap to Como in fifth was widened again to nine points.

Massimiliano Allegri chose to make two changes to the starting line-up from the team that lost to Parma one week ago. Strahinja Pavlovic came back into the defence, replacing Pervis Estupinan with Davide Bartesaghi pushing back up to wing-back. Youssouf Fofana came in too, taking the place of the injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

First half: Familiar missed chances

Milan started the game in a sloppy fashion, as demonstrated by what led to the first chance in the sixth minute. A bad giveaway in midfield saw Cremonese counter with a Bonazzoli shot blocked for a corner, from which the ball fell to Vardy inside the box whose shot from close range was also stopped in the nick of time.

Allegri’s side grew into things a bit from there. An excellent cross from Adrien Rabiot on the left side was cut out by a sliding challenge just before it reached Rafael Leao for what would have been a tap-in. Moments later Leao had a shot cleared off the line, but there was offside in the build-up.

The game descended into a bit of a lull, and then in the 20th minute it looked like Alexis Saelemaekers had brought it to life with a weaving 50-yard run on the counter-attack. However, the Belgian dragged his shot wide from the edge of the box.

Cremonese had a couple of moments in quick succession after that. Firstly Pezzella crossed from the left for Bonazzoli, who diverted a shot just wide at the far post. Then Vardy tried a volley from inside the box that fizzed wide of the far post.

With thirty-three and a half minutes on the clock, Leao missed a massive opportunity to give Milan the lead. Youssouf Fofana found his dart in behind with a perfectly-weighted through ball, and while the former Lille man set himself well, he somehow clipped his effort over the goalkeeper and wide of the left post.

A very similar situation to the Leao chance occurred one minute before the half-time interval, with Fofana again the provider of a great ball in behind but Pulisic the recipient this time. He managed to get a shot off with his right foot, but Audero got a touch on it and it went behind for a corner, one that Rabiot only just headed wide.

Right at the end of the one added minute, Fofana tried to take matters into his own hands as he received the ball on the edge of the box, turned and shot on goal. Audero was equal to it though with a fine low save.

Second half:

Early in the second half Milan found themselves on top still. Leao went on a driving run that is his trademark but one we haven’t seen much of recently, though he overran it for a goal kick, and less than one minute later Saelemaekers should have perhaps picked out his run in behind the defence.

Just after the hour mark, Allegri made a couple of changes. Samuele Ricci and Niclas Füllkrug were the duo introduced, taking the places of Fofana and Saelemaekers respectively in what marked a formation change to a 4-3-3.

Füllkrug was immediately in the wars, taking a whack on the head from a Cremonese defender, and then doing the splits as he tried to get on the end of a cut-back from Leao from the left byline.

Leao continued to be at the centre of Milan’s most dangerous moments. The forward went on another foray forward – this time from a central area – and opened up onto his right foot for a shot that lacked the pace or direction to beat Audero.

As the clock ticked towards the final 10 minutes, Allegri made two more substitutions Pulisic and Tomori were the ones withdrawn, with Christopher Nkunku and Zachary Athekame coming on. That happened while a VAR check was ongoing for what Füllkrug claimed was a foul as he tried to meet a Modric free-kick, though it was cleared.

For the umpteenth time this season, the Rossoneri’s shooting boots were left at home, or head in the case of Füllkrug as he rose well to met a corner but missed the target in the 87th minute.

What looked like being the final blow in a disappointing afternoon came with two minutes left, as Bartesaghi saw a low cross diverted behind for a corner kick. He went to the ground holding the back of his leg, and needed to come off due to a muscular issue.

Then, as the corner was taken short and whipped to the far post by Modric, the ball skimmed off the head of Koni De Winter then hit Strahinja Pavlovic and nestled inside the net. Pavlovic ran straight over to celebrate with Bartesaghi in front of the away end, and after a VAR check for handball the goal was given.

Then, as Cremonese piled bodies forward in search of a last-minute equaliser, Milan sprung a two-on-zero break with Nkunku the one in possession and Leao at his side, and only Audero to beat. The Frenchman rather selflessly square it to his strike partner who tapped into an empty net to put the finishing touch on a 2-0 win.