AC Milan missed a chance to narrow the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan, settling for a 1-1 draw against Como at San Siro on Sunday.
The stalemate leaves Milan seven points adrift, though their unbeaten run stretches to 24 league matches.
The game began cautiously, with both sides struggling to create clear chances. Como looked threatening in the 25th minute when Mergim Vojvoda’s strike was ruled out for offside after Nico Paz’s flick set him up.
Moments later, Rafael Leao came close for Milan, but it was Como who drew first blood. Paz capitalized on a poor pass from Mike Maignan, slotting the ball through the stranded goalkeeper’s legs in the 32nd minute.
Milan responded after the break, and Leao’s persistence paid off in the 64th minute. Ardon Jashari’s lofted pass found the forward, who calmly lobbed Como goalkeeper Jean Butez to restore parity.
The home side came close to a winner when Leao’s header rattled the crossbar, while Como’s Jesus Rodriguez tested Maignan with a late free-kick.
Tensions flared on the touchline as Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was shown a red card with 10 minutes remaining.
Paz continues to shine on the road, scoring in consecutive away games for the first time in Serie A.
The 21-year-old has now netted nine goals this season, all of his last five strikes coming away from home, following a brace against Lazio.
Despite the draw, Milan can take solace in maintaining their unbeaten streak. The 24-match run only falls short of their 1991-92 campaign, when they went the entire season without defeat.
However, the xG numbers tell a worrying story: Como produced 1.45 expected goals compared to Milan’s 0.76, suggesting Allegri’s side may have been fortunate to leave San Siro with a point.
