Fiorentina 1-1 AC Milan: Nkunku's Late Equaliser Sustains Milan's Pursuit Of The Scudetto

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AC Milan needed a stoppage-time goal from Christopher Nkunku and several key saves from Mike Maignan to secure a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina in Serie A at Stadio Artemio Franchi, a result that kept Massimiliano Allegri's team two points behind league leaders Inter, who were due to play fellow Scudetto contenders Napoli later on Sunday.

The match remained goalless at half-time despite Milan creating the clearest early chances, while Fiorentina finished much stronger and almost stole victory in added time, with Marco Brescianini striking the crossbar before Moise Keane's effort was blocked by Maignan, whose late interventions maintained Milan's 18-match unbeaten league run.

Fiorentina moved in front on 66 minutes after a spell of pressure early in the second half, when Fabiano Parisi had already tested Maignan, and Robin Gosens went close with a header before Pietro Comuzzo climbed above the Milan defence to glance Albert Gudmundsson's corner into the bottom corner, leaving Maignan with no chance from close range.

Milan responded through substitutes and eventually found the equaliser in the 90th minute, when Youssouf Fofana slipped a precise pass behind the Fiorentina back line, allowing Nkunku to surge into the area and drive a low finish inside the near post, preventing what would have been Milan's second Serie A defeat of the season.

Earlier, Milan created the first major opportunity after 20 minutes, as Niclas Fullkrug linked play smartly before Christian Pulisic saw a close-range shot stopped by David de Gea, then Pulisic fired a left-footed effort just wide of the right-hand post, while Fiorentina's best first-half moment saw Cher Ndour direct a header straight at Maignan.

The final minutes brought intense pressure from Fiorentina, who finished with 20 attempts compared to Milan's 13, and almost claimed all three points in stoppage time when Brescianini crashed a shot against the bar, then Keane's follow-up attempt was denied by Maignan, whose reflexes and positioning preserved Milan's point.

Statistically, Milan edged the expected goals numbers with an xG of 1.8 from 13 shots, although only three attempts hit the target, while Fiorentina produced an xG of 1.48 from 20 efforts, helped by their late surge, and the draw meant Milan collected their 10th point from a losing position in Serie A this season, with only Cagliari recovering more.

Maignan's influence stood out during the full contest, as the France international and Milan captain made six saves, including two crucial stops in the closing stages, and that display not only secured a draw but also extended Milan's unbeaten league sequence to 18 games, their longest such run since a 22-match stretch between January 2022 and September 2022.

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The match left Allegri's side still closely tracking Inter in the Serie A title race, with Milan's resilience, Nkunku's late leveller and Maignan's performance reinforcing their ability to recover in difficult situations, although the dropped points also highlighted the fine margins involved against Fiorentina in a tightly balanced contest.