Milan paid for massive squad rotation, as Tommaso Pobega cancelled out the 33-second Nicola Sansone opener, but had two penalty appeals waved away in Bologna.
The Rossoneri made a priority of preparing for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Napoli after a 1-0 victory, changing all 10 outfield players, despite winning only one of their last five Serie A games. The hosts had Riccardo Orsolini suspended, Marko Arnautovic, Roberto Soriano and Andrea Cambiaso injured, but in recent weeks beat both Inter and Atalanta, holding second-placed Lazio to a draw.
It took 33 seconds to break the deadlock, as Stefan Posch pulled back from the by-line for Nicola Sansone to fire into the roof of the net from six yards.
Ante Rebic had timid penalty appeals waved away after trying to squirm away from Adama Soumaoro, then his header was smothered by Lukasz Skorupski and the goalkeeper parried an Alessandro Florenzi free kick.
Michel Aebischer blasted just over, but the Rossoneri siege finally paid off when Tommaso Pobega smashed in a left-foot scorcher from just outside the box to equalise.
Stefano Pioli threw on Rafael Leao and Brahim Diaz in the final stages and it made a difference with two big chances in 60 seconds. First Junior Messias rolled across from the right, it took a strange bobble and ricocheted wide from five yards off Rebic’s face, then Leao set up Pobega for a powerful shot charged down by Charalampos Lykogiannis.
Brahim Diaz ballooned over on a Leao assist, while Jhon Lucumi handled in the box, but there was no penalty as the ball ricocheted off his leg first.
Bologna 1-1 Milan
Sansone 1 (B), Pobega 40 (M)
Player statistic
| Nicola Sansone (Assist: Stefan Posch) |
 |
1' | ||
| 40' | |
Tommaso Pobega |
| 54' |  |
Alessandro Florenzi | ||
| Stefan Posch | |
58' | ||
| Nicolás Domínguez | |
70' | ||
| 80' | |
Davide Calabria | ||
| 81' | |
Tommaso Pobega | ||
| 87' | |
Aster Vranckx | ||
| Georgios Kyriakopoulos | |
90' |
Match statistic
