Loftus-Cheek opens the scoring, Loyola levels for the hosts, Fullkrug misses a penalty before Luka Modrić seals it late as MILAN edge PISA at the Arena Garibaldi.
Serie A Matchday 25 delivered a tense afternoon at the Arena Garibaldi, where Pisa pushed Milan to the limit before succumbing 2-1 to a moment of pure class from Luka Modrić late on.
MILAN left Tuscany with three crucial points, trimming the gap to league leaders Inter to five points after a performance that was far from fluent but ultimately effective.
First Half: Slow Tempo, Loftus-Cheek Strikes
The opening 45 minutes unfolded at a subdued pace, drawing visible frustration from Massimiliano Allegri on the touchline. MILAN dominated possession without carving out many clear chances, while PISA struggled to threaten Mike Maignan’s goal.
Just before halftime, however, the breakthrough arrived. Ruben Loftus-Cheek found space in the box and rose unmarked to head home a precise cross from the right, giving MILAN a 1-0 lead they carried into the interval.
Second Half: Drama and Turning Points
The match opened up immediately after the break. Substitute Niclas Füllkrug had a golden opportunity to double MILAN’s advantage from the penalty spot, but his effort struck the outside of the post and went wide.
That miss breathed life into PISA. The hosts grew in confidence and were rewarded in the 71st minute when Loyola reacted quickest from close range to fire past Maignan and make it 1-1.
With the momentum seemingly shifting, MILAN leaned on experience. In the 85th minute, Modrić produced a decisive piece of quality, finding the net with a champion’s touch to restore the Rossoneri lead.
The closing stages were marked by tension, culminating in Adrien Rabiot’s dismissal for dissent deep into stoppage time, but MILAN held firm to secure the win.
Match Report
PISA 1-2 MILAN
Scorers:
39’ Loftus-Cheek (MILAN)
71’ Loyola (PISA)
85’ Modrić (MILAN)
PISA (3-4-2-1):
Nicolas; Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bozhinov; Touré (Leris 86’), Loyola (Durosinmi 91’), Aebischer (Akinsamiro 56’), Angori; Moreo (Piccinini 86’), Tramoni (Iling-Junior 56’); Stojilkovic.
Head coach: Hiljemark.
MILAN (3-5-2):
Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Athekame (Pulisic 77’), Fofana (Ricci 72’), Modrić, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek (Leão 72’), Nkunku (Füllkrug 46’, De Winter 90’).
Head coach: Allegri.
Referee: Fabbri
Bookings: Touré (PISA); Bartesaghi, Rabiot (MILAN)
Red card: Rabiot (91’)
Notes: Füllkrug missed a penalty (56’)
