Luka Jovic saved a point for AC Milan at Salernitana with his last-gasp leveller in Friday’s 2-2 draw at Serie A’s bottom club.
Serbia forward Jovic lashed home his third goal in as many league games from Olivier Giroud’s deft knock-down to stop third-placed Milan from falling to an embarrassing defeat.
Antonio Candreva seemed to have shot Salernitana to a shock win when his long-distance effort squirmed under usually reliable Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan in the 63rd minute.
Candreva also set up Federico Fazio’s leveller after Fikayo Tomori had nodded the away side ahead in the 17th minute.
Jovic’s equaliser leaves Salernitana four points behind Udinese who sit just outside the relegation zone and are at Torino on Sunday.
Meanwhile Milan risk losing further ground on league leaders Inter Milan who are eight points in front of their local rivals ahead of Sunday’s clash with Lecce at the San Siro.
“The hardest thing to do here was to throw away this match and that’s what we did,” coach Stefano Pioli told DAZN.
“We were controlling the match but we got distracted and at this level you can’t do that.”
Pioli’s team are also now looking over their shoulders in the top-four battle as Fiorentina closed to within three points in fourth after winning 1-0 at Monza thanks to an early Lucas Beltran strike.
Milan also lost Tomori to injury, the 30th of what seems to be a cursed season for the seven-time European champions.
Bologna host Atalanta high on confidence after knocking Inter out of the Italian Cup and can move two points behind Milan in fourth with a win on Sunday.
Inter’s closest rivals Juventus are four points off the pace and take on entertaining Frosinone in Sunday’s opening fixture.
Earlier Lazio strolled past Empoli to snap a five-match winless streak away from home, with Matteo Guendouzi and Mattia Zaccagni netting in a 2-0 win at lowly Empoli.
Maurizio Sarri’s side lost both Ciro Immobile and midfield talisman to injury midway through the first half but did enough to beat Empoli, who are one point behind Udinese in 18th.
Lazio are ninth on 24 points from 17 matches, one point behind local rivals Roma who host champions Napoli on Saturday night.
“The quality could have been better, but we were decent today,” said Sarri.
“We were shaken up by having to make those two substitutions, but our heads were clearer after going two ahead. I hope we’ve regained some self-belief.”
Promoted Genoa pulled seven points away from the relegation zone after coming back from a goal down to win 2-1 at a Sassuolo side missing star man Domenico Berardi to flu.
