Serie A | Parma 2-2 AC Milan: Rossoneri fumble advantage in thrilling draw

Milan fumbled a 2-0 lead at the Stadio Tardini with Alexis Saelemaekers and Rafael Leao, as Parma fought back through Adrian Bernabé and Enrico DelPrato for a chaotic thriller.

The Rossoneri had their sights on top spot after a dramatic 1-0 win over Roma, where Mike Maignan saved a penalty. Adrien Rabiot and Santiago Gimenez were still out of action, with Christian Pulisic, Fikayo Tomori and Ardon Jashari only fit for the bench, but Pervis Estupinan made his comeback for the first time since September 28. The Ducali had scraped just two points from five rounds, including back-to-back defeats against Roma and Bologna. Christian Ordonez was suspended following his red card, with Nahuel Estevez, Alessandro Circati, Pontus Almqvist, Gaetano Oristanio, Matija Frigan and Jacob Ondrejka injured.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Lautaro Valenti risked an own goal with his interception to stop Christopher Nkunku tapping in a Rafael Leao roll across from six yards, but Milan did take the lead when Nkunku laid it off outside the area and Zion Suzuki was slow getting down to the Alexis Saelemaekers daisy-cutter into the far bottom corner.

Parma had the ball in the back of the net on 18 minutes, but Oliver Sorensen was clearly offside when redirecting the wayward shot.

Saelemaekers was involved again when he went down under a clumsy Abdoulaye Ndiaye challenge and the referee awarded a penalty, sticking to his decision even after a VAR On-Field Review. Rafael Leao converted into the near bottom corner, despite Suzuki going the right way.

Mike Maignan was ready to smother the Enrico Delprato glancing header from a Britschgi cross, while Suzuki’s gloves were stung by Nkunku’s strike.

Parma got themselves back into the game moments later, as Sascha Britschgi battled to win the ball at the touchline and set up Adrian Bernabé for a magnificent left-foot curler into the far top corner that left Maignan no chance.

The Ducali were far more aggressive after the restart and created a big chance when Patrick Cutrone rolled across for Pellegrino to come sliding in from six yards, but Estupinan made a desperate block and it ricocheted onto Samuele Ricci’s arm from point-blank range off his leg, so VAR opted against a penalty.

Delprato also had a shot parried by Maignan at the near post, then the forward-thinking defender’s glancing header skimmed the upright, both from long Lautaro Valenti throw-ins. Max Allegri switched Milan to a 4-4-2, but they simply had the wrong attitude after going 2-0 up.

Bernabé really should’ve equalised when he ballooned over from 14 yards on a smart Cutrone lay-off, then Pellegrino’s header bounced off the frame of the goal.

It was one-way traffic in this second half and Parma finally got a deserved equaliser, Britschgi’s cross from the right finding the Delprato glancing header at the near post into the far bottom corner. It was a remarkable moment for the defender, a lifelong Rossoneri supporter.

Milan should’ve restored their advantage on 76 minutes when Pulisic made his comeback from injury and ran clear on the Leao back-heel flick, but incredibly drilled it wide with only Suzuki to beat.

Saelemaekers also turned an acrobatic back-heel flick wide on Luka Modric’s cross, but it was end to end with both teams trying to win it.

In the same move, Maignan got down to palm a Delprato diving header off the line from a Hernani free kick, then Saelemaekers went on the counter-attack, dribbled past Suzuki, only to fire wide of an open goal, put off by the Parma players tracking back.

Suzuki just about got a Modric snapshot under control after an initially clumsy save, then deep into stoppages Youssouf Fofana prodded wide from seven yards on the Ruben Loftus-Cheek low cross.

Saelemaekers 12 (M), Leao pen 25 (M), Bernabé 45+1 (P), Delprato 62 (P)