ROME: AS Roma and AC Milan shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday after a stoppage-time goal by visiting winger Alexis Saelemaekers cancelled out a Tammy Abraham strike three minutes earlier as the Serie A top-four race intensifies.

Milan remain fourth in the standings, level on 57 points with Roma in fifth, with both sides two points behind third-placed Juventus.

Champions League semi-finalists Milan have now failed to win in six out of their last eight league games.

Roma were without forward Paulo Dybala who left the pitch in Bergamo with pain in his ankle.

Jose Mourinho’s depleted side were also missing injured defenders Diego Llorente and Chris Smalling plus midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who are all expected to return in mid-May. The season had previously ended for right-back Rick Karsdorp.

Roma’s back luck, however, did not end there and Mourinho was forced to make an early change when defender Marash Kumbulla clashed inside the box with Milan forward Olivier Giroud.

Milan started cautiously in a game that was frequently interrupted by fouls bringing yellow cards but their attacks increased in number and speed as the first half wore on and Stefano Pioli’s men pushed Roma further into their own half.

However, Roma knew their best bet was to steer the play away from their fragile back line and responded two minutes later with a close-range Lorenzo Pellegrini shot was unfortunately blocked by Abraham.The action intensified after the break but, despite chances for both sides as Milan settled into dominating possession, it looked like the game was heading for a draw.

Abraham then put the hosts ahead in the third minute of stoppage time with a low shot into the left corner, sparking premature celebrations from the home fans, before Saelemaekers equalised from a Rafael Leao cross into the box.

The two goals were the only shots on target.

Milan host second-bottom Cremonese on Wednesday when Roma travel to ninth-placed Monza.

In the night’s other match, Atalanta took advantage of the stalemate by beating Torino 2-1 to move up into sixth, a point ahead of Inter Milan.

Duvan Zapata netted with two minutes remaining to move Atalanta two points behind Roma and Milan as the Champions League race hots up.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2023