Murgia fires a pass forward toward the penalty area, but Hernandez makes a clearing header.
Piatek wins a throw-in on the right, halfway inside the SPAL half. With 15 seconds to go, that should probably be that.
90' +2
SPAL win a corner on the left, which Murgia takes right-footed. It's high towards the far corner of the six-yard box, but Donnarumma reads it well and makes the catch.
90' +1
Three minutes of time added on. Calhanoglu's free-kick into the area is cleared away but only as far as a covering Milan midfielder 30 yards from goal, and the home side keep hold of possession.
90'
Just 60 seconds of normal time remain in what has been a fairly arduous affair. Milan are holding onto the ball well enough in the SPAL half, and Tomovic barges Calabria over by the right corner flag.
89'
Bonaventura fouls Cionek to the left of the SPAL penalty area with his first touch of the ball. Romagnoli wins the long ball forwards from the resulting free-kick.
88'
G. Bonaventura enters the game and replaces Lucas Paquetá.
Paqueta goes off for Bonaventura. Milan looked to be readying a double change, but it's just him for now.
87'
Sala finds Kurtic in some space on the left. He cuts infield before going back onto his left and crossing, but it's into a crowded penalty area and the ball eventually finds its way back to Donnarumma.
86'
Paqueta fouls Kurtic by the left corner flag. Murgia's delivery toward the line of the six-yard box is met strongly by Kurtic, but he times his leap wrong and heads over.
84'
Petagna drops deep to try and take charge of things and he does well to beat Hernandez down the right, but he's tackled by Calhanoglu by the corner flag.
Minute
Description
83'
Floccari gets some space about 25 yards out after drifting in from the left. He looks to bend a right-footed shot presumably toward the far corner, but he catches it wrong and bends it straight at Donnarumma, who drops down to take a low catch on the bounce.
82'
J. Sala enters the game and replaces A. Reca.
A. Paloschi enters the game and replaces Gabriel Strefezza.
Reca goes off for SPAL, replaced by Sala.
Strefezza goes off as well, with Paloschi coming on to partner his fellow former Milan striker Petagna up top. Ominous.
80'
The first corner is put behind, and Calhanoglu's second delivery from the right is too deep. It forces Milan backwards and when the ball comes back in, it' deflects for another corner kick.
78'
Coming towards the last ten minutes, the away side haven't done a lot to suggest they'll nick an equaliser and Milan are looking more dangerous as SPAL commit men forward.
76'
Calabria goes through the back of Kurtic over by the left touchline, near the corner flag. Murgia delivers the free-kick right-footed, but it's straight down the throat of Donnarumma, who chooses to punch clear with both fists. Strefezza hits it on the volley, but shanks it about the height of five goals over the crossbar.
75'
Bennacer wins the ball well inside his own half and spreads the play out to Suso on the right. He finds Calhanoglu with a cross-field pass but Milan eventually end up going backwards, and a hurried pass back toward Suso spins all the way through to Berisha.
73'
J. Kurtič gets yellow.
Kurtic is booked for a late challenge.
Paqueta hits a first-time shot from 20 yards out after a deflected pass falls nicely for him, but it flies over.
72'
The corner is cleared and, while it comes back in from the left, Donnarumma gets up to make a good catch. Milan counter and Calhanoglu finds space to shoot from range over to the right, but he doesn't quite measure his shot right and it loops up nicely for Berisha to catch on the second attempt.
71'
M. Valoti enters the game and replaces S. Missiroli.
A first SPAL change of the evening, as Valoti replaces Missiroli.
Petagna has been the most active of SPAL's attacking players so far, and he looks to take matters into his own hands with a bustling run infield from the right. He gets toward the right byline and looks ready to either shoot or cross, but Hernandez times a tackle perfectly and puts it behind for a corner.
70'
The free-kick is lifted into a decent enough area at the edge of the six-yard box, but Vicari fouls Piatek as the two go up for the header.
69'
I. Bennacer gets yellow.
Bennacer sees yellow, sliding straight through the legs of Petagna and almost headbutting him in the crotch on his way. Could have been nasty.
68'
T. Cionek gets yellow.
Hernandez can't keep a lofted pass over towards the left touchline in play, and SPAL win possession cheaply. They look to piece together an attack down the same flank, but they just don't seem to have the guile needed to pick their way through. It's going to be a struggle for them now.
Cionek is booked for a late tackle on Calhanoglu.
67'
Murgia barges into the back of Kessie halfway inside the Milan half, and gives away a free-kick.
66'
Milan have looked better in the second half. They haven't been hammering on the door by any definition, but they've been in the ascendancy and put SPAL under a lot more pressure than they had been before half-time.
63'
Suso has scored a goal for AC Milan!
GOOAAL! 1-0 Milan, Suso with a beauty from the bench! The free-kick is perfectly placed for him, a couple of yards outside the area and over to the right. He lifts it over the wall left-footed, and Berisha doesn't move as it sails inside the near post.
62'
F. Vicari gets yellow.
A long ball over the top from Romagnoli looks to have picked out Piatek in the right channel, but Vicari brings him down just outside the area and is booked. Good position for a free-kick, this.
61'
Bennacer drives forward well and looks to find Calhanoglu in space in the penalty area to his left. His pass is cut out by Cionek but it falls to Kessie at the edge of the area. He takes a touch and shoots low, but his right-footed effort is blocked. SPAL then launch an attack of their own, but Floccari's cross from the left is cleared.
60'
A Milan attack down the left comes to an end as Hernandez fouls Strefezza just outside the penalty area. The crowd are getting more and more agitated every time their side fluff their lines now.
58'
Paqueta and Calhanoglu look to combine in the left channel, but Strefezza gets a touch to it and the move breaks down. It just isn't quite clicking for Milan in this second half.
57'
Suso enters the game and replaces Samu Castillejo.
H. Çalhanoğlu gets yellow.
The Milan corner from the left is headed away, and Calhanoglu is yellow-carded for going through the back of Floccari as he looked to complete the clearance at the edge of the area.
Suso comes on for Castillejo, who hasn't had a brilliant game.
56'
Milan should do much better with this. Calhanoglu wins the ball from Cionek in midfield and they have a three on two. Piatek latches onto the loose ball and drives forward but his pass back to Calhanoglu forces him further to the right than he would have liked. It's not obvious whether he shoots or crosses, but he hits it right-footed across goal and it deflects behind for a corner.
54'
Bennacer and Missiroli challenge for a ball in a central position, halfway inside the SPAL half. Missiroli gets there first and wins a free-kick as the Algerian kicks him in his follow-through.
52'
Milan are getting Paqueta on the ball more in the second half, which should be a good sign for them. This time he shoots left-footed from the edge of the D, but drags it wide to the right of goal.
51'
Floccari gets a moment of time on the ball inside the area, to the right side. He lofts a blind pass toward the back post where Reca is lurking to tap it home, but Donnarumma hoists himself into the air to claim the ball one-handed.
50'
Tomovic steps up to cut out a pass forward to Castillejo on the right, before Missiroli is fouled on the halfway line.
49'
Paqueta drops into a pocket of space in a central position and looks to thread a pass through to Piatek with the outside of his right foot, but Vicari as alive to the danger and gets a toe to the ball.
47'
Kurtic gets an early shooting opportunity, just outside the area and to the left of centre. He snatches at a left-footed shot on the bounce, and it's immediately blocked.
46'
D. Calabria enters the game and replaces M. Musacchio.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: AC MILAN 0-0 SPAL
45'
Pioli makes his first change, as Calabria comes on for Musacchio.
Milan get us back underway for the second half. This can only get better, right?
44'
SPAL keep the ball inside the Milan half with some neat passing, but can't do anything with it and eventually go all the way back to Berisha. When Milan win the ball back, Castillejo crosses from the right, but it's easily intercepted with Piatek the only attacker in the penalty area.
43'
Hernandez looks to come infield from the left, but he can't find a way through and is eventually tackled by Vicari. Romagnoli then gives away a free-kick just inside the SPAL half after attempting to step out of defence and keep his side on the front foot.
42'
Paqueta is down for a moment receiving some treatment after being bundled into the advertising hoarding earlier in that move. He's fine to carry on, and Murgia's free-kick from the left is easily dealt with and headed clear.
40'
Léo Duarte gets yellow.
G. Donnarumma gets yellow.
Yellow card for Duarte, who trips Reca over toward the left.
Donnarumma is booked for rushing out immediately to complain about the Duarte yellow.
39'
Castillejo does well to stop a ball forward bouncing out for a goal kick, but his attempted pull-back is behind Piatek and cut out. SPAL counter again, but Petagna can't find his way around Musacchio inside the Milan penalty area.
38'
A Milan attack breaks down as a Paqueta through ball hits Calhanoglu at the edge of the area. SPAL break and Reca gets in behind down the left but, like Duarte at the other end a few minutes ago, gets his cross all wrong. He badly overhits it and Hernandez clears up easily at the other side of the area.
36'
Petagna hits a firm right-footed shot from a central position 20 yards or so from goal, but it fizzes straight into the chest of Donnarumma, who envelops the ball to take a solid catch.
35'
While the original corner is cleared, Milan get the ball back and a through-ball into the right channel sees Duarte in an excellent position to pull the ball back Manchester City-style. Instead, he lumps it about 30 feet into the air, well over everybody in the penalty area, and it curls out for a goal kick for good measure.
34'
Castillejo controls a cross-field pass from Bennacer with his chest at the edge of the area, and lays the ball off for Paqueta who runs onto it. His shot deflects into the side netting, and Milan get a corner on the right.
33'
Bennacer plays a lazy long pass out of defence, giving Castillejo no chance to beat Tomovic to the ball. SPAL had committed some men forward there and with Castillejo and Piatek both lurking on the halfway line, there was potential for Milan to do better with that.
32'
Murgia's cross from the right is cut out by Hernandez, with Kessie completing the clearance with a strong header from the right corner of the penalty area.
31'
Castillejo fouls Cionek, needlessly pushing the defender over by the right touchline after he had cleared the ball with a searching pass forward.
30'
A fluid Milan passing move from right to left ends with Kessie playing a simple through ball to Calhanoglu, making an underlapping run through midfield. He shoots left-footed, aiming across the goalkeeper toward the bottom-right corner, but doesn't catch it well and it's a simple enough save.
29'
A SPAL throw-in on the left is taken long, and Floccari flicks it on towards Kurtic, but Romagnoli gets to the ball first and makes the clearance.
28'
Tomovic leans down to thump the ball in frustration after the referee pulls him back for a trip on Castillejo, as the Spaniard looked to break through the centre circle. Milan build another attack from the free-kick, but it breaks down to the right of the area.
26'
Bennacer's free-kick toward the penalty area is cleared. Milan go back to defence and Musacchio, who attempts - you guessed it - a ball over the top, but Castillejo strayed offside and the flag goes up.
25'
Hernandez goes down in a heap after a late challenge from Strefezza on the Milan left, just inside the attacking half.
24'
Another SPAL corner on the left, and this time the delivery is a good one. Murgia fires it in hard toward the near post and Floccari wins the header, but can't get the glancing header he needs and nods it straight behind instead.
23'
Castillejo looks to latch onto yet another ball over the defence, but Reca covers well. Kessie is then adjudged to have fouled Tomovic as he looked to pounce on the loose ball at the edge of the area.
22'
Calhanoglu is released by another ball over the top, but his cross is straight into the covering Cionek. The ball deflects back onto Calhanoglu, and out for a goal kick. Unfortunate.
21'
S. Floccari gets yellow.
The corner is taken short and delivered toward Kessie at the back post. He can't quite win the header, and is adjudged to have fouled Cionek as he attempted to do so.
Floccari gets the first booking of the evening for leaving an elbow in on Musacchio as the two went up for a header.
20'
Murgia's corner comes to nothing, and Piatek is fouled by Cionek outside the area. Milan launch an attack of their own, and Castillejo wins a corner on the right.
19'
Calhanoglu is caught in possession by the left touchline, just inside the SPAL half, and Strefezza releases the busy Petagna on a counter. Romagnoli just gets across to him before he can fire a cross in, but SPAL get a corner on the right.
18'
Duarte heads an attempted cross-field pass out for a throw-in. Duarte then heads an attempted thrown pass out for a throw-in. Duarte then wins possession from the throw-in. Persistence pays.
17'
Hernandez and Strefezza go up for a ball on the touchline, and the SPAL player is left down in a heap holding his face after a slight touch. Milan get the free-kick anyway, and he's straight back up and running back into position as they take it quickly.
16'
Musacchio shows a nice little touch to get a bit of time on the ball under pressure from the SPAL front two, but he dithers on the ball and in the end has to go back to Donnarumma, whose lump upfield is met by a SPAL head. It isn't entirely obvious what Milan's plan is, from what we've seen so far tonight.
14'
Piatek gets in behind after a first-time pass from Bennacer in midfield. He's forced out towards the right and, not fancying his chances of bullying his way into the area, he has a pop from outside the area. It's a powerful right-footed effort, but it rises clear of the crossbar.
12'
Milan put their foot on the ball for the first time in a while, but they're struggling to bypass the SPAL block in midfield. Paqueta looks to force the issue with a left-footed ball over the top from the right wing, but again it's overhit.
11'
Romagnoli steps over to the left to snuff out another SPAL attack, but Hernandez' ball down the line towards Calhanoglu is easily intercepted. The away side are seeing plenty of the ball here so far, and there are some whistles of discontent from the home crowd.
9'
Romagnoli does well to get a foot in and win the ball from Petagna on the halfway line. A ball almost breaks in behind for Piatek to chase over on the right, but it's slightly too powerful for him and he gives up the chase as it slides through to Berisha.
7'
SPAL get another corner on the left, as a Petagna snapshot from the edge of the area is blocked in a crowd of defenders. This time the delivery beats the first man, and then beats everybody else as well as it flies over and behind for a goal kick.
5'
Petagna is fouled by Bennacer in a central position, a good distance out. Rashford distance, you might say. The ball is laid off to Kurtic for a shot, but he takes too long to get it away and it's immediately blocked, resulting in a Milan counter. Piatek goes down to the left of the penalty area under pressure from Tomovic, but there was no touch and no free-kick given.
4'
An early shot from Paqueta. A pass is played forward to Piatek at the edge of the area to the right. The ball hits the back of his leg as he tries to react and control it, but it drops straight into the path of Paqueta who shoots first time toward the bottom-right corner. He hits it well, but Berisha makes a simple save.
3'
Early corner for SPAL on the left, as Reca's cross is blocked at the edge of the area by Musacchio. Calhanoglu gets up well at the front of the six-yard box to clear and Milan try to counter, but Vicari snuffs it out at the halfway line.
1'
We're off! The away side, in their fetching gold and black kits, get us underway. Milan in their thin red and black stripes. SPAL immediately look to launch an attack down the right, but Murgia fouls Kessie as he tries to stop the ball going behind for a goal kick.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this Serie A fixture from San Siro, as Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan side host Leonardo Semplici’s relegation-battling SPAL.
Milan start the game 13th in the Italian top flight, and while they’ve got this game in hand over most of the teams around them, they’re on a wretched run of just one win in their last six games. The visitors are second-bottom despite a creditable draw with Napoli last time out, but would go level on points with Milan if they could pull off a surprise win tonight.
AC MILAN (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Leo Duarte, Mateo Musacchio, Alessio Romagnoli, Theo Hernandez; Lucas Paqueta, Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie; Samu Castillejo, Krzysztof Piatek, Hakan Calhanoglu.
SUBS: Pepe Reina, Antonio Donnarumma, Davide Calabria, Andrea Conti, Matteo Gabbia, Lucas Biglia, Giacomo Bonaventura, Rade Krunic, Fabio Borini, Suso, Ante Rebic, Rafael Leao.
SUBS: Karlo Letica, Demba Thiam, Igor Julio, Jacopo Sala, Felipe dal Belo, Bartosz Salamon, Paolo Cannistra, Mattia Valoti, Mirko Valdifiori, Riccardo Mastrilli, Gabriele Moncini, Alberto Paloschi.
The two teams are on their way out, and we’re almost ready for kick-off. Who are you backing?
The managers will likely look toward their benches sooner rather than later, with neither side looking like they have the cutting edge necessary to win this game. Suso in particular will be looking at this and itching to get on and make a mark.
A first win in three lifts Milan up into the top half - just - while SPAL remain second-bottom, a point from safety. Milan are back here on Sunday as they host fifth-place Lazio, while SPAL return home to host bottom club Sampdoria on Monday evening in what could be a hugely important game in the relegation fight.
That's it from San Siro tonight. I hope you've enjoyed following the game more than anybody could have enjoyed watching it. Goodnight!
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