AC Milan on Sunday slumped to a surprise 1-0 home loss to Parma to leave city rivals Inter 10 points clear at the top of Italian Serie A, after SSC Napoli lashed out at the refereeing following defeat at Atalanta BC.
Parma defender Mariano Troilo’s late header condemned second-placed Milan to a damaging loss in the title race, capping a week in which they also dropped points in a draw with Como.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side had seen Inter stretch their lead with a 2-0 win over US Lecce on Saturday, but could not respond as they suffered their first league defeat since the opening weekend of the season.
Photo: Reuters
“We are not happy, obviously,” assistant coach Marco Landucci, standing in for the suspended Allegri, told Sky Sport. “Parma played very well, and the ball just didn’t want to go in for us tonight. We wanted the three points, so of course we feel let down, but we go again.”
Milan, who lost Matteo Gabbia to a muscle problem in the warm-up, suffered another blow early on at the San Siro when Ruben Loftus-Cheek had to be stretchered off with a head injury.
The England midfielder was carried from the field wearing a neck brace after colliding with Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi.
Italian media reported that Loftus-Cheek would need dental treatment and undergo tests in hospital for possible head trauma.
Milan almost found a breakthrough in the 36th minute when Alexis Saelemaekers picked out Christian Pulisic, but the US winger’s shot was kept out by Corvi.
Pulisic fired a better chance narrowly wide on the stroke of half-time.
Milan pushed for a winner in the second period, but struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Parma caught them cold in the 80th minute as Troilo headed in, although the goal was initially disallowed for a foul by Lautaro Valenti on goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
However, after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) review, the referee overturned his decision to leave Milan’s title hopes hanging by a thread.
Napoli hit out at “shameful” refereeing after slipping to a 2-1 loss at top-four rivals Atalanta.
Raffaele Palladino’s side extended their unbeaten run in the league to nine matches with an impressive second-half fightback.
Atalanta remain seventh in the table and are five points back of Napoli and AS Roma, in the race for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Roma moved up to third with a 3-0 home win over US Cremonese courtesy of second-half goals from Bryan Cristante, Evan Ndicka and Niccolo Pisilli.
Injury-hit reigning champions Napoli slid to fourth, now points 14 adrift of Inter. Napoli were incensed after having a penalty award overturned and then a goal disallowed in the first half.
“Where is the foul? The VAR called him on the penalty, why not on this? It’s embarrassing,” Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna told DAZN.
“There has to be a review of this, because every week a club ends up here protesting about decisions,” he said. “All we want is what is right, what is ours, but this is not right, and it is not football. It’s shameful, I have no more words.”
The visitors grabbed an early lead when Sam Beukema, one of three Napoli players left completely unmarked, headed in Miguel Gutierrez’s free-kick.
Atalanta leveled just after the hour mark when Mario Pasalic flicked a header into the corner from Nicola Zalewski’s corner.
The home team completed the turnaround with nine minutes remaining as Lazar Samardzic sent a looping header into the far corner from Lorenzo Bernasconi’s cross.
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