Rafael Leao showcased his individual brilliance by scoring a remarkable solo goal, yet Milan was unable to secure a victory as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Atalanta, with Teun Koopmeiners converting a penalty and Marco Carnesecchi making several crucial saves.
The draw comes on the heels of consecutive losses for the Rossoneri, who fell 4-2 to Monza in Serie A and suffered a 3-2 defeat against Rennes in the Europa League, although they managed to progress to the last 16. Luka Jovic served the first match of his two-game suspension, while Tommaso Pobega and Fikayo Tomori were sidelined with injuries. However, Davide Calabria and Pierre Kalulu returned to the squad. Atalanta, missing only Isak Hien, fielded Milan-owned Charles De Ketelaere, having previously defeated Milan twice this season in Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
Despite an early warning from Olivier Giroud’s attempt blocked by Giorgio Scalvini, it was Leao who broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion. The forward skillfully maneuvered past defenders before unleashing a powerful strike into the top corner, ending his Serie A goal drought since September.
Atalanta threatened through Holm and De Ketelaere, but Milan’s defense held firm until VAR intervened, awarding a penalty for Giroud’s mistimed clearance, which caught Holm. Koopmeiners duly converted from the spot.
Milan pushed for a winner in the second half, with chances falling to Loftus-Cheek and Leao, but Carnesecchi stood firm in goal. The match saw its share of controversy, with Leao receiving a booking for dissent and Scalvini forced off with a shoulder injury.
In the dying moments, Maignan pulled off a remarkable save from Lookman, although it wouldn’t have counted due to an earlier foul on Hernandez. Despite their efforts, Milan had to settle for a share of the points, leaving their quest for a top-four finish in Serie A open-ended.