ROME: AC Milan were given the silent treatment by thousands of frustrated supporters during Sunday’s thrilling 3-3 home draw with Genoa as their disappointing Serie A season crawls to its conclusion.

Fans unfurled banners dem­a­nding improvements to the team, while the hardcore ultras stayed silent in protest throughout a match which ended all square after Malick Thiaw’s 87th-minute own goal handed mid-table Genoa a point.

The entire Curva Sud section of the San Siro, which is where the ultras stand and holds thousands of supporters, missed Thiaw’s unfortunate error as it emptied shortly after Olivier Giroud fired Milan 3-2 ahead in the 75th minute.

Left behind was a banner which simply read “the sound of silence”.

The protest dampened the atmosphere for what was effectively a dead rubber, with second-placed Milan already guaranteed Champions League football and promoted Genoa safe from relegation.

Fan discontent stems from the 18 points which separate Milan from champions and local rivals Inter Milan, who secured their 20th league title by winning their local derby a fortnight ago.

That, and being dumped out of the Europa League by fellow Italians AS Roma, angered supporters and means Stefano Pioli, the man who guided Milan to the 2022 Serie A title, will be dismissed at the end of the season after nearly five years at the helm.

“The fans chose that form of protest, you have to respect it,” said Pioli to DAZN. “Our fans have always been of huge value over these years, they’ll have their reasons for the way they protested.”

The match started in the worst way for the hosts as Gen­oa’s Mateo Retegui converted a penalty five minutes in, following a trip by Fikayo Tomori on Alessandro Vogliacco.

Milan then got on top, with Genoa goalkeeper Josep Mart­inez making several impressive saves to deny the hosts an equaliser for much of the first half, before Alessandro Flore­nzi managed to break free from his marker just before the break to head in Milan’s leveller.

However, Genoa shocked the home crowd again three minutes after the break when Caleb Ekuban headed a cross past Milan keeper Marco Sportiello.

Milan turned the game aro­u­nd in three minutes, as Gabbia headed home in the 72nd minute and Giroud scored the hosts’ third of the match with a volley from an acute angle.

Yet Genoa continued to push and a cross into the Milan box was inadvertently turned into his own net by defender Thiaw.

Below Milan, the battle for Champions League football continued as third-placed Juventus drew 1-1 in a hugely entertaining clash with Roma in which each team created a host of chances and struck the woodwork.

Juve stay five points behind Milan and inched towards a spot in Europe’s top club competition after Gleison Bremer’s 31st-minute header levelled an early opener from Romelu Lukaku.

Despite only winning twice in 14 league matches, Massi­miliano Allegri’s side have 66 points, nine ahead of sixth-placed Atalanta, who have two games in hand.

“Football is a crazy sport because one moment things go your way and the other everything goes against you,” said Allegri. “We could have done better this season but it wasn’t to be.”

Roma took the lead after 15 minutes when Lukaku found himself in the perfect position to tap in the rebound from a Bryan Cristante shot.

Bremer levelled with a header for Juve after 31 minutes when Federico Chiesa’s cross found him inside the box.

Roma are fifth with 60 points, four behind fourth-placed Bologna.

Verona boosted their hopes of safety with a 2-1 home win over Fiorentina which moved them five points clear of the relegation zone.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2024