By Le Figaro with AFP
Public here at 23:07
Giroud scored a goal. ALBERTO LINGRIA / REUTERS
AC Milan lost this Sunday evening at Monza (4-2) and remains third.
AC Milan missed the opportunity to dislodge Juventus Turin from 2nd place in the Italian Championship standings, losing 4 to 2 at Monza, Sunday at the end of the 25th day .
Before the return play-off to reach the round of 16 of the Europa League in Rennes on Thursday, Milan, winner 3-0 of the first play-off, started the match without its executives, Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud, spared. In this second configuration, the Lombard club experienced a nightmarish first sixty minutes.
He conceded two goals, including one from the penalty spot after a rash tackle from Malick Thiaw, at the end of the first period (45th and 45+6th) then found himself in numerical inferiority after the exclusion of Luka Jovic for hitting a Monza player (54th). So much so that Milan coach Stefano Pioli had to start Leao, Pulisic and Giroud. The top scorer in the history of the French team, served by Pulisic, quickly revived his team with his 12th goal of the season (64th).
Pulisic believed he had given his team a long-unexpected point by equalizing (88th). But the young Frenchman Warren Bondo restored the advantage to Monza with a superb 20-metre recovery (90th), then Lorenzo Colombo added a fourth goal in added time. AC Milan, which remained in nine matches without a defeat (seven wins and two draws) remains 3rd (52 pts), two points from Juventus and far from the leader, Inter (63 pts).
