By Goal.com News on Saturday, 03 April 2021
Category: Goal.com News

LIVE: AC Milan vs Sampdoria

That's all for now though, goodbye!  

The result means that Milan cut Inter's lead to five points - but with two games in hand, Inter are now in an even more commanding position. Sampdoria, meanwhile, remain 10th.  

Hauge's late goal rescues a point for Milan. Sampdoria dominated the first half but couldn't find a breakthough: Gabbiadini and Thorsby were denied by fine Donnarumma saves, while Damsgaard missed a glaring opportunity when clean through. However, the visitors eventually took the lead during a mad period in the second half. First, Quagliarella opened the scoring with an inspired chip from 30 yards. But moments later, Sampdoria were reduced to 10 men, when Silva picked up a second yellow. Milan pushed forward in search of an equaliser and it eventually arrived late on when Hauge curled in from 12 yards. There was still time for Kessie to hit the post as Milan went agonisingly close to a winner, but the visitors held on for an impressive draw.     

90' + 5' FULL TIME: Milan 1-1 Sampdoria

90' + 3' Kessie hits the post! Ibrahimovic plays Kessie clean through with a deft flick and the midfielder places a shot from eight yards that flicks off the sliding lunge of Tonelli and against the post! 

90' + 1' Five minutes of stoppage time are added as Milan push for a winner. 

89' Brilliant save from Audero! Calhanoglu rifles a powerful, low shot from 20 yards that forces Audero into a brilliant reflex save to tip it around the post!

84' That chance for Rebic was the closest Milan have come, but Sampdoria are still holding firm as we approach stoppage time.  

82' Off the line by Colley! Rebic spins past Bereszynski and pokes a close range shot past Audero, only for Colley to race back to prevent the ball from trickling in!  

80' Milan have pinned Sampdoria inside their own half, but they're still struggling to create clear chances.   

78' Calhanoglu's outswinging corner is glanced well wide by Kessie.  

76' Calhanoglu's low 20-yard drive deflects wide for a corner that amounts to nothing.   

74' Theo and Calhanoglu work a smart interchange on the edge of the box, but Tonelli anticipates the danger and shields it out of play.   

72' Tonelli throws himself at Rebic's 18-yard shot and it ricochets to safety.   

70' Despite their numerical advantage, it'll be impressive if Milan launch a comeback. They've managed just one shot from inside the box all game, with Sampdoria successfully stifling the hosts.     

68' Quagliarella attempts to repeat his earlier goal - but this time from even further out - and his lob drifts harmlessly wide.  

66' Rebic jinks past Thorsby before angling a chip well over the bar from 25 yards.   

64' Milan now have 30 minutes to rescue this game against 10 men!

62' Well, the game has been turned on its head in the last 10 minutes! First Sampdoria took a deserved lead when Quagliarella chipped Donnarumma but then the visitors threw away their advantage instantly with Silva's red card!   

59' Red card for Sampdoria! Silva earns a second yellow card after a late challenge on Castillejo!  

55' Candreva's inswinging corner is claimed by Donnarumma.

53' Ibrahimovic wins a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box, but Calhanoglu's delivery is claimed by Audero.

51' If Sampdoria can repeat their first half performance, they'll have a good chance of walking away with all three points, and you suspect Candreva holds the key to this. Candreva has been involved in 11 Serie A goals this season (five goals and six assists), more than any other Sampdoria player. The Italian winger has also netted three goals against AC Milan in the top-flight.

48' Milan hit the visitors with a counter-attack, but the move is eventually slowed down by Ibrahimovic, who can't beat Colley before misplacing a throughball intended for Calhanoglu.   

46' Sampdoria get the second half underway.

Milan know they have to win today to put the pressure on leaders, Inter, and you'd expect them to push for an opening goal in the second half.   

It's 0-0 at half time, after a promising display from Sampdoria. The visitors dominated that first half but lacked a clinical edge to take the lead. Gabbiadini and Thorsby both forced Donnarumma into fine saves to protect Milan's clean sheet and Damsgaard wasted a clear opportunity when he was clean through. Milan lacked fluency at the other end and only really threatened with a tenuous penalty appeal late in the half.  

45' + 2' HALF TIME: Milan 0-0 Sampdoria

43' Milan appeal for a penalty after a tangle between Augello and Ibrahimovic, but the referee waves play on and VAR doesn't intervene.

41' Theo lashes a wild half-volley high and wide from 30 yards.   

38' Castillejo cuts it back towards Calhanoglu from the byline and it looks as though the attacker will have a clean shot at goal, but Thorsby recovers to lunge in and divert the ball to safety.   

36' Milan finally seem to have stopped Sampdoria's pressure, but they're struggling to produce many chances themselves currently.  

34' Calhanoglu steps up to take the free-kick from 22 yards, but he curls it wastefully into the wall.  

30' Ibrahimovic blasts a 30-yard free-kick straight into the wall.  

28' Damsgaard wins a promising free-kick near the left-hand side, but Candreva's delivery is too close to Donnarumma and the goalkeeper sails out to claim it.

26' Strong save from Donnarumma! Thorsby firmly meets Candreva's corner at the near post and powers a header at goal, that Donnarumma acrobatically parries to safety! 

24' Chance for Damsgaard! Gabbiadini plays a deft, first-time flick to send Damsgaard clean through, but Theo anticipates the danger and gets back to poke it away from the midfielder at the crucial moment!  

22' Quagliarella lays it off to Augello inside the box, but the defender can only plant a tame effort straight at Donnarumma from eight yards.   

20' Milan attempt to settle the game down with a long spell of possession inside their own half.

18' Sampdoria have largely been in control of this game so far: they've had 55 per cent possession and Milan have yet to muster a single shot.   

16' Milan have had to absorb plenty of pressure early on, with Sampdoria making a surprisingly proactive start.  

14' Candreva whips in a dangerous cross from the right flank, but Tomori is there again to hack it clear.   

12' Thorsby cuts out a pass from Bennacer and suddenly Sampdoria have a three-on-three! However, Quagliarella's throughball to set Damsgaard clean through is misplaced and Kjaer is positioned to make a crucial interception!

10' Krunic beats Bereszynski and squares it towards Calhanoglu, but the attacker can't quite stretch far enough to make contact. 

8' Milan fail to clear a series of corners, as the visitors continue to push for an early opening goal.   

6' Gabbiadini goes close! Sampdoria continue to exert early pressure, as Gabbiadini cuts inside from the right before bending a curling effort from 20 yards that forces Donnarumma to pull off an acrobatic save to tip it over the bar!

4' Gabbiadini wriggles past Theo and gets deep inside the box, before cutting it back to Damsgaard who has a shot from 12 yards charged down by Kjaer.

2' Sampdoria start brightly as Damsgaard latches onto Augello's pass down the line, before hammering in a vicious cross that Tomori hooks to safety.  

1' Milan get the first half underway.

The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!

Milan haven’t won any of their last five home games in all competitions (D2 L3); the last time they went on a longer such run came in December 2013 under Massimiliano Allegri (six).

Sampdoria make two changes to the team that beat Torino 1-0: Albin Ekdal and Jankto drop out with Silva and Damsgaard coming in.

Milan make three changes to the side that defeated Fiorentina 3-2 before the international break: Dalot, Tonali and Diaz are replaced by Castillejo, Bennacer and Krunic.

SUBS: Nicola Ravaglia, Jakub Jankto, Mehdi Leris, Maya Yoshida, Antonino La Gumina, Valerio Verre, Karlo Letica, Kristoffer Askildsen, Gaston Ramirez, Vasco Regini, Keita, Alex Ferrari.

SAMPDORIA (4-4-2): Emil Audero; Bartosz Bereszynski, Lorenzo Tonelli, Omar Colley, Tommaso Augello; Antonio Candreva, Morten Thorsby, Adrien Silva, Mikkel Damsgaard; Fabio Quagliarella, Manolo Gabbiadini.

SUBS: Diogo Dalot, Matteo Gabbia, Antonio Donnarumma, Jens Hauge, Ciprian Tatarusanu, Soualiho Meite, Sandro Tonali, Pierre Kalulu Kyatengwa, Ante Rebic.

MILAN (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Alexis Saelemaekers, Simon Kjaer, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie; Samu Castillejo, Hakan Calhanoglu, Rade Krunic; Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Sampdoria, meanwhile, are in a respectable 10th place – but with just one win in their last six games (a victory over Torino last time out) they’ll be hoping to shock Milan and arrest their recent slide.

Hello and welcome to live commentary of this Serie A fixture between Milan and Sampdoria. The hosts enter this one in second, with an outside chance of catching Inter in first: they’re six points off top having played an extra game, and they’ll be hoping to chip into this gap with a win today.

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