Serie A | Fiorentina 1-1 Milan: Nkunku rescues a point at struggling Viola

Christopher Nkunku struck late on to secure a point for Milan, after Pietro Comuzzo’s Fiorentina opener, but both sides missed so many chances.

The Rossoneri rotated the squad after a stressful 1-1 midweek draw with Genoa, as Rafael Leao, Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, Youssouf Fofana and Christopher Nkunku were not at 100 per cent, so Niclas Fullkrug and Ardon Jashari got their first Serie A starts. The Viola had turned a corner in recent weeks with two wins and a chaotic 2-2 draw at Lazio. Moise Kean returned to the XI after two games, with Edin Dzeko and Tariq Lamptey injured, but new buy Marco Brescianini on the bench.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Robin Gosens blasted over in the opening minutes, then just failed to get on the end of Albert Gudmundsson’s roll across from six yards. There was an end to end situation where first Koni De Winter made a decisive block on Marin Pongracic, then Milan went on the counter with David De Gea bravely rushing out to deny Christian Pulisic one-on-one.

Pulisic threatened again sprinting into the box after a give and go with Fullkrug, but dribbled around De Gea and waited too long to shoot, only finding the side-netting.

Moments later, Pulisic was sent clear by a Fullkrug back-heel flick, only to fire straight at De Gea from point-blank range, and from the resulting corner Matteo Gabbia’s header was parried.

Pulisic continued to waste golden opportunities, an angled drive inches wide on the counter-attack, and Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli saw red in first half stoppages for dissent.

Gosens failed to connect with a Rolando Mandragora cross floated in and Mike Maignan had to improvise, parrying with his legs from six yards.

Fabiani Parisi tested Maignan from distance and Dodo’s strike was deflected over, so after Dodo and Kean flashed efforts across the face of goal, Max Allegri made a triple substitution.

A Gosens diving header on Dodo’s cross was also straight at Maignan, while Cher Ndour’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected over by Gabbia.

Marco Brescianini made his Fiorentina debut just days after joining from Atalanta, and Fiorentina finally broke the deadlock when Pietro Comuzzo was allowed a relatively free glancing header on the Gudmundsson corner, bouncing in off the inside of the far post.

Strahinja Pavlovic came off worse from a clash of heads with Comuzzo moments later, but as they were chasing the game, Allegri replaced him with Nkunku.

Parisi tested Maignan again at the near post and Brescianini ballooned over from a very promising position, while Samuele Ricci’s angled drive flashed just wide.

Milan got their equaliser in the last minute of normal time, as Saelemaekers robbed Fagioli and Fofana placed a delicate through ball for Nkunku to spring the offside trap, smashing a powerful finish past De Gea at the near post.

It wasn’t over, with chances at both ends, above all Brescianini sweeping first-time onto the crossbar from six yards, then Maignan smothering at the feet of Kean.

Comuzzo 66 (F), Nkunku 90 (M)