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Late Gatti header sees spoils shared with Milan
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- Late Gatti header sees spoils shared with Milan
Late Gatti header sees spoils shared with Milan
The Men's First Team played out a 1-1 draw with Milan at the Allianz Stadium on Serie A Matchday 3.
A late Federico Gatti header canceled out Alphadjo Cisse's opener for the visitors, despite the Bianconeri having the edge over the Rossoneri for the majority of the game.
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THE MATCH REPORT
The Bianconeri looked to hurt Milan early, and Kerim Alajbegovic was the first to have a sight at goal. Showing direction and intent by driving towards the Milan box, he took aim from range and, although his attempt was off target, his efforts earned applause from the Allianz Stadium.
With 10 minutes played, another shot from range came in. This time it was Nico Gonzalez testing Mike Maignan. Not dissimilar to his pre-goal play against Parma, he cut in from the right and drove a shot at goal, but the French goalkeeper was able to parry it away.
The game's first big chance came in the 25th minute. After some nice build-up play, Francisco Conceicao found a pocket of space to shoot in the box and, after Maignan had parried it, the ball fell to Manuel Locatelli at full stretch, and the captain couldn't divert it goalward.
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Conceicao continued to threaten and forced another save from Maignan in the 38th minute. Again getting into the box on the right, he this time headed for the byline before striking, but the Milan shotstopper kept him out.
Even into the second half, Chico remained the brightest spark and likeliest source of the opening goal. Inside ten minutes of the restart, he again looked to get at Milan's backline before letting off a fierce shot that bounced back off Maignan's right-hand post.
Luciano Spalletti turned to his bench after an hour had been played, bringing on Teun Koopmeiners and Jeremie Boga in an attempt to find an extra spark in attack. Immediately, Conceicao fed Randal Kolo Muani in the box, but the no.9 was closed down by Milan's defence.
But Milan's first attempt on target gave them an unexpected lead in the 69th minute. Substitute Alphadjo Cisse had space to the left of goal, opened his body and finished across Guglielmo Vicario.
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Again looking to find solutions in attack, Spalletti introduced Nick Woltemade for Douglas Luiz with 15 minutes of the 90 to play. Then, the coach's last roll of the dice came in the 90th minute, bringing on Edon Zhegrova and Federico Gatti.
Locatelli tried his luck from outside the box, but it was blocked down, before Boga took aim but Maignan was on hand to deny him.
Then came the equaliser, and two of the second-half introductions were involved. Koopmeiners delivered a pinpoint cross from the left that found Gatti, who towered above everybody to thump a headed effort past Maignan before he was even able to think about reacting.
And so Gatti's late header earned a point for the Bianconeri, who are next in action away to Sassuolo on Sunday, 13 September.
