AC Milan lost further ground in the Serie A title race after being held to a 1-1 draw by AS Roma on Sunday night, leaving them five points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.
The Rossoneri looked on course for a crucial victory when Koni De Winter rose highest to head home from a corner just after the hour mark, a goal that briefly moved Milan closer to their city rivals at the summit.
However, Roma hit back in the 74th minute when captain Lorenzo Pellegrini calmly converted a penalty after Davide Bartesaghi was penalised for handball inside the box.
The spot-kick ensured the points were shared and extended Milan’s frustrating run of stalemates.
It was Milan’s third draw in six league matches and their eighth of the campaign, a pattern that continues to hinder their title push. The result also followed Inter’s emphatic 6-2 victory over Pisa on Friday, which widened the gap at the top.
While Milan remain unbeaten since their opening-day shock loss to Cremonese in August, dropped points against lower-ranked sides have proved costly.
Draws against relegation-battling Fiorentina and bottom club Pisa have underlined their struggle to turn dominance into wins.
For Roma, the result capped an impressive weekend as they climbed above Napoli into third place, fresh from a commanding 3-0 away win over Juventus.
Despite their rise, they remain nine points behind runaway leaders Inter.
Press Association and Associated Press contributed to this report.
