MILAN: Youngster Pierre Kalulu helped AC Milan maintain its unbeaten league record as his late equalizer snatched a 2-2 draw at Genoa in Serie A on Wednesday.
Milan appeared to be heading for its first league defeat since March after a double from former Rossoneri forward Mattia Destro had put Genoa 2-1 up. But the 20-year-old Kalulu, who was making his first start for the club, netted the equalizer seven minutes from time.
“This is a Milan team which never gives up,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. “The quality of our performances has been very high, you just need to look at the standings."
Milan remained top but saw its advantage cut from three points to one over Inter Milan, which beat 10-man Napoli 1-0.
Juventus is third, four points below Milan after drawing 1-1 against Atalanta in a match where Cristiano Ronaldo had a tame penalty attempt saved.
Milan hasn't won the Serie A title since 2011.
“It’s right to dream and to be ambitious," Pioli said. "The results show that we are a competitive team and that we can play for the title, but then you can’t not consider Juventus and Inter favorites.
“However, we want to be ambitious, we are doing something unexpected, that maybe only we dared dream of.”
Milan was without the injured Zlatan Ibrahimović. The 39-year-old Ibrahimović has been out for almost a month but the Rossoneri had still managed to win four of its six matches without its star forward, drawing the other two.
However, Milan appeared to struggle more in Genoa although Ante Rebić almost gave it the lead at the end of the first half only to be denied by a great save from Mattia Perin.
Genoa broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval. Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Eldor Shomurodov’s swiveling effort but Destro tapped in the rebound.
Destro spent half a season at Milan in 2015.
Davide Calabria put Milan back level just five minutes later with a powerful effort from outside the area into the bottom left corner but Destro headed in what looked to be the winner on the hour mark.
However, Kalulu scored from close range after a corner had been headed on by Alessio Romagnoli.
Genoa threatened to win it in a frantic finale but Donnarumma saved Gianluca Scamacca's acrobatic effort.