AC Milan managed to hold on for a crucial 1-0 win against Udinese at the San Siro, despite playing with 10 men for over an hour. The match was filled with controversy and tight calls that ultimately favored the Rossoneri.
Samuel Chukwueze provided the decisive moment early in the game, scoring his first Serie A goal for Milan. The Nigerian winger finished off a well-worked move involving Noah Okafor and Christian Pulisic.
However, the complexion of the match changed dramatically around the 30-minute mark when Tijjani Reijnders was shown a straight red card. The Dutch midfielder was judged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity when he tripped Sandi Lovric as the Udinese player was breaking through on goal.
From that point on, Milan were forced into a defensive stance as Udinese pushed for an equalizer. The visitors thought they had leveled the score just before halftime when Kingsley Ehizibue headed home, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside.
As the second half wore on, Udinese continued to press their numerical advantage. Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was called into action several times, making crucial saves to preserve his team’s lead.
The drama reached its peak in the 95th minute when Udinese appeared to have finally broken through. Christian Kabasele bundled the ball over the line following a chaotic sequence in the Milan penalty area. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was again ruled out for offside – this time by the narrowest of margins.
The result sees Milan bounce back from their recent defeat to Fiorentina and keeps them in touch with the league leaders. For Udinese, it was a frustrating evening that saw them fail to capitalize on their man advantage and fall to their first defeat in several matches.
The match will likely spark debates about the use of VAR and the interpretation of offside rules, with both of Udinese’s disallowed goals coming down to extremely tight margins. Nevertheless, Milan will be relieved to have secured all three points in what proved to be a grueling test of their resilience.
Goals: Chukwueze 13 (M)
Sent off: Reijnders 29 (M)
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Pavlovic, Terracciano; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze (88′ Tomori), Pulisic, Okafor (46′ Musah); Morata (73′ Abraham, 78′ Loftus-Cheek)
Udinese (3-5-2): Okoye; Kabasele, Bijol, Touré; Ehizibue (60′ Kamara), Zarraga (70′ Ekkelenkamp), Lovric (70′ Payero), Karlstrom (81′ Brenner), Zemura; Iker Bravo (60′ Davis), Lucca
