Rome, Oct 31 (IANS) AC Milan fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Palermo in a Serie A football match.
Fabrizio Miccoli converted a penalty to cap a strong first half for the home team before Franco Brienza doubled their lead almost immediately in the second half of the game played Tuesday, Xinhua reports.
Riccardo Montolivo brought Milan back into the game in the 69th minute before Stephen El Shaarawy struck 10 minutes from time to complete the comeback and save Milan from falling below the Sicilians in the league table.
AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted that his side could have won the game.
“Despite playing badly in the first half, the penalty could’ve been avoided. The lads did well after the break and we fully deserved the draw. In fact, we could well have won it,” he said.
His Palermo counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini was furious that his side “threw away an incredible opportunity”.
“We stopped after the second goal. Instead of continuing to attack, we stopped at the edge of our own area without defending or playing,” he said.
Miccoli was Palermo’s dangerman, and he put the hosts ahead with a penalty just before the break after his cross hit the arm of Ignazio Abate.
Brienza made it two early in the second half with a 25-yard effort which caught Amelia by surprise, but the Sicilians then decided to stop playing. They resorted to defending for the remainder of the game and Milan soon took advantage.
Bojan Krkic’s shot was beaten away by Ujkani at his near post in the 58th minute and Abate’s low ball needed just a touch from El Shaarawy, but he failed to provide it from a yard out.
Montolivo brought Milan back into the game moments later when his deflected shot left Ujkani no chance inside his near post.
Milan continued to attack and were rewarded in the 80th minute when Ujkani’s punch fell to El Shaarawy, who managed to find the smallest of gaps with his instant shot inside the near post of the Palermo goal.
