Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Monza earned a hard-fought 4-2 home win against AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday despite a stunning effort from Christian Pulisic, as Stefano Pioli’s side missed a chance to leapfrog second-placed Juventus in the standings.
Milan remain third in the standings on 52 points, two adrift of Juventus and 11 behind leaders Inter Milan, who have a game in hand.
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Monza’s Matteo Pessina and Dany Mota put the club ahead in the first half before substitutes Olivier Giroud and Pulisic pulled Milan level in the second.
Milan had been pushing hard for an equaliser prior to Pulisic’s goal in the 88th minute. The United States men’s national team forward picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty box, ducked inside a defender and curled a left-footed effort into the far corner.
Warren Bondo and Lorenzo Colombo secured the hosts all three points with a goal apiece in the dying minutes, with Bondo scoring in the immediate aftermath of Pulisic’s goal which looked to have earned Milan an unlikely point.
The Rossoneri, who beat Stade Rennais 3-0 at home in the Europa League in midweek and travel to France for the second leg on Thursday, suffered their first league loss in more than two months to end their unbeaten run of nine games.
Milan went down to 10 men in the 52nd minute when Luka Jovic was sent off for violent conduct against Monza captain Pessina, with the referee overturning his original decision to just book the Serbia striker after consulting the VAR monitor.
With Giroud, Pulisic and Rafael Leão starting on the bench, Milan had early chances through Jovic and Theo Hernández before a shot by Samuel Chukwueze was denied by Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.
Pessina gave Monza the lead from the spot just before the break, sending Milan keeper Mike Maignan the wrong way after the penalty was awarded for a foul by Malick Thiaw, and Mota doubled the advantage for the hosts in first-half stoppage time.
Di Gregorio had to be substituted late in the first half after a clash of heads with defender Andrea Carboni.
Pulisic, Leao and Tijjani Reijnders all took to the field following halftime and Giroud joined minutes later but things got worse for Milan when they had Jovic sent off.
Giroud eventually pulled a goal back for the visitors with a shot from close range, netting from a Pulisic headed pass in the 64th minute before the American equalised.
But feisty Monza did not settle for a draw, with Bondo and Colombo sealing their historic first win and points over Milan in Serie A.