NEW DELHI: AC Milan claimed the A league summit with a dramatic 1-0 win over Genoa on Saturday, sealed by a late goal from Christian Pulisic. The match took an unexpected twist as striker Olivier Giroud took over as goalkeeper after Milan’s keeper, Mike Maignanreceived a stoppage-time red card.
In the closing moments of the game, Maignan was sent off for a foul on Caleb Ekuban, setting the stage for Giroud to don the goalkeeping gloves.
In the closing moments of the game, Maignan was sent off for a foul on Caleb Ekuban, setting the stage for Giroud to don the goalkeeping gloves.
The extraordinary turn of events continued as Genoa’s Albert Gudmundsson struck a free kick from the edge of the box, narrowly missing the target as it hit the crossbar.
However, Giroud’s heroics were not limited to goalkeeping, as he made a spectacular save to deny George Puscas just moments before the final whistle. The match ended with Milan securing a vital victory that propelled them to the top of the Serie A standings.
This late triumph saw AC Milan move two points ahead of their city rivals, Inter Milan, who earlier in the day squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home against Bologna. Milan now set its sights on maintaining its position at the summit of Serie A as the competition intensifies.
(With Reuters inputs)
