STADIO FRANCHI (Florence) – Erick Pulgar was Fiorentina’s hero as his penalty helped the Viola rescue a 1-1 draw against AC Milan at the Stadio Franchi on Saturday evening, when down to 10 men.
Milan were a little fortuitous to get themselves in front, but Ante Rebic was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a Martin Caceres mistake. Things were made even more difficult for Fiorentina when Dalbert was sent off moments later after fouling Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
However, Fiorentina rallied and former Milan forward Patrick Cutrone won a penalty which Pulgar dispatched on the 85th minute to give the home side a point.
As a result, it was Milan’s first away draw of the season and sees them move joint sixth in the Serie A table. While Fiorentina are still searching for their first home win over the Rossoneri in the top flight since August 2015.
Fiorentina started the better of the two sides and Nikola Milenkovic dribbled his way into the Milan penalty area, but his shot was straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Donnarumma was then robbed by Federico Chiesa, and the Fiorentina No.25 found Gaetano Castrovilli who fired over the bar.
A deep cross from Samu Castillejo from the right was glanced towards goal by Rebic, only for the Croatian to be denied by a brilliant reflex save by Bartlomiej Dragowski.
Mistakes littered the first half and Milan thought they had taken the lead when Ibrahimovic danced his way through the Fiorentina defence and slotted home, but upon VAR review, referee Gianpaolo Calvarese ruled it out for a handball from the Swede in he build up.
After the break, Donnarumma replaced by Asmir Begovic and immediately the Milan No.1 had to be alert to deny Chiesa.
Rebic continued his goalscoring form, pouncing on a mistake Caceres, who chested it straight into the path of the Croat, who side-footed home from 12 yards out.
Rebic, who made his first eight appearances in Serie A with Fiorentina, has now scored six goals in seven league appearances in 2020 for Milan.
That seemed to wake Milan up a bit, and moments late Ibrahimovic was in on goal before being fouled by Dalbert. Following intervention by VAR, the Brazilian was sent off, and the Swede blasted the freekick at the wall.
Castillejo thought he had doubled the lead when he was played in on goal, but it was ruled out for offside, while at the other end, Susan Vlahovic dragged a diagonal shot just wide.
Vlahovic then played in Cutrone, who was fouled by Alessio Romagnoli in the box, thus conceding a penalty which Pulgar slotting home with Begovic getting a hand to it.
Fiorentina could have won it in the final moments when Caceres was denied by the legs of Begovic.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com