ROME: Emmanuel Gyasi scored a stunning 96th-minute winner as relegation battling Spezia came from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1 in a controversial match at San Siro on Monday, putting a dent in the home side’s Serie A title hopes.

In-form Milan winger Rafael Leao put his side in front at the end of the first half after Theo Hernandez missed a penalty, but the visitors struck back through substitute Kevin Agudelo.

Junior Messias thought he had won it for the hosts when he curled home in stoppage time, but the referee’s whistle had already sounded for an earlier foul on Milan’s Ante Rebic, and Spezia then hit on the break to win it at the death.

The decision left Milan furious as referee Marco Serra left hardly any time for advantage to be played, with around two seconds passing between the foul on Rebic and Messias’ shot.

“I tried to calm down the players but couldn’t,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli told DAZN. “We know we have suffered an injustice. Its a shame, the responsibility is ours for the goal we conceded but that must be shared with the referee.”

It was a missed opportunity for Pioli’s side, who went into the game knowing a win would send them top, but remain two points behind leaders Inter Milan, who have a game in hand.

Spezia climbed to 14th place on 22 points, six clear of the relegation zone.

The guys were great, they knew it was a difficult game against a team that is fighting for the title. We did well right to the end,” Spezia coach Thiago Motta said.

Elsewhere, third-placed Napoli narrowed the gap to the top two as Hirving Lozano scored twice in a 2-0 win at Bologna, leaving Luciano Spalletti’s side two points behind Milan.

In the late game, Fiorentina crushed dispirited Genoa 6-0 to jump sixth.

Milan dominated much of the game but spurned a host of chances.

In the 44th minute, Leao escaped behind the Spezia defence but was flattened by goalie Ivan Provedel kicking wildly at the bouncing ball. Hernandez fired the penalty wide.

A minute later Leao escaped again and this time reached the ball first and lobbed Provedel to give Milan the lead.

Spezia hit back when Agudelo, finding a huge hole in the home defence, tapped in a low Daniele Verde cross at the near post after 64 minutes.

Milan piled forward late on and thought they had won it with Messias’ curler but the referee had called a free kick, which Ibrahimovic got on target to force another save from the impressive Provedel.

Spezia struck on the break in the final minute to clinch it, Viktor Kovalenko picking out Gyasi to finish.

In Bologna, Napoli earned a comfortable win thanks to Mexican winger Lozano.

First, Lozano used one touch to redirect a pass in the centre of the area despite being closely marked in the 20th minute. Then he finished off a counterattack from close range in the 47th.

Lozano’s two goals were as many as he had scored in his previous 21 Serie A games.

In Florence, rising star Dusan Vlahovic squandered an 11th minute penalty for the home team with a lazy Panenka that Salvatore Sirigu, reaching up, pawed away.

It hardly mattered, as the home team tore apart Genoa, who have won once in the league all season and on Saturday fired Andriy Shevchenko after just two months as coach.

Four minutes later, Sirigu dived at Vlahovic’s feet for a brave save but the ball ran to Alvaro Odriozola who scored to start the rout.

Cristiano Biraghi struck with two long-range free kicks. Giacomo Bonaventura scored from close range. Vlahovic hit the target with another cute lob. Diminutive Lucas Torreira ended the scoring with a header against the 19th-placed visitors, led by interim boss Abdoulay Konko.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2022