were grateful to Giacomo Bonaventura for rescuing a 1-1 draw
at Cagliari.
Filippo Inzaghi's side - denied victory in Serie A by Fiorentina at
the weekend - were second best for long periods as they
claimed a point at Stadio Sant'Elia on Wednesday.
Zdenek Zeman's Cagliari missed out on a Milan double, having
beaten Inter 4-1 earlier in the season, after Victor Ibarbo's
deserved first-half opener was cancelled out by Bonaventura's
sublime 30-yard lob.
The hosts steadied themselves in the second period and looked
the more likely to win the game as Daniele Conti struck the post
with a well-struck free-kick.
Milan were forced to defend desperately for long stretches, but
remain unbeaten on their travels in Serie A this term,
while Cagliari's wait for a first home success goes on.
The hosts entered the game fresh from a 4-0 thrashing of
Empoli on Saturday, and their excellent start to the game looked
like being rewarded as early as the fourth minute.
Ibarbo had a gaping goal in front of him after Danilo Avelar
squared to take Christian Abbiati out of the game, having
collected Conti's perfect throughball. However, Adil Rami
reacted and produced a sensational sliding block to
somehow keep the scores level.
Ibarbo's pace and power had Milan on the back foot
throughout the opening exchanges and he did make the
breakthrough on 24 minutes.
The Colombian spotted a gap between Rami and Mattia De
Sciglio, and darted into the space to beat Abbiati to Marco Sau's
inviting, clipped cross from the left and head into the net from
eight yards.
The same pair combined for Cagliari eight minutes later with
roles reversed, but this time Abbiati did well to save with his feet
Milan then drew level out of nothing after 34 minutes.
Bonaventura received a throw-in 30 yards from goal under no
pressure at all and had time to spot Alessio Cragno off his line
before executing a perfect curled lob into the top corner,
stunning the stadium into silence.
Despite conceding, the hosts were not to be discouraged and
began the second half in much the same manner as they had th
first.
Conti whipped in a dangerous low cross from the right 10
minutes after the break and only a desperate lunge from Ignazio
Abate took the ball off the toe of an on-rushing Andrea Cossu,
denying a certain goal.
Milan were relying on the frame of the goal to keep them level
three minutes later as Conti thrashed in a free-kick, after Rami
had been turned by Ibarbo, which bounced wide off the post.
Substitute Diego Farias should have won it for Cagliari in the
final minute of regulation time, but fired straight at Abbiati from
seven yards after being picked out by Sau.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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