Milan’s lead at the top of the table was cut to just one point after this disappointing stalemate with Bologna, despite 33 attempts on goal.
The pressure was on the Rossoneri after Napoli and Inter victories, but Alessio Romagnoli joined Simon Kjaer and Tiemoue Bakayoko on the treatment table. Bologna had their first match since coach Sinisa Mihajlovic returned to hospital for leukaemia treatment. Lorenzo De Silvestri and Nico Dominguez were out of action, with Riccardo Orsolini and Roberto Soriano benched.
Mitchell Dijks should’ve done better on an Aaron Hickey smart pass over the top, while Theo Hernandez tested Lukasz Skorupski from distance.
Rafael Leao and Marko Arnautovic blasted over, then Mike Maignan smothered Michel Aebischer’s effort after a good passing move.
There were penalty appeals for a Gary Medel block on Brahim Diaz from six yards, but he had his back to goal as he came sliding in.
Musa Barrow forced a flying fingertip save from Maignan with his scorcher from distance that had to be pushed out from under the bar.
Pierre Kalulu’s touch let him down on a corner from six yards before Theo Hernandez blasted the rebound wide.
Giroud thought he’d scored with a towering header on Tonali’s cross from the right, but Skorupski made a great save at the near post.
Ante Rebic replaced Junior Messias at half-time, moving Leao over to the right flank. It worked immediately, Leao combining with Brahim Diaz to force a reaction save from Skorupski’s trailing leg.
Davide Calabria went incredibly close with an angled drive that skimmed the far post thanks to a tiny deflection off Gary Medel’s shinpad.
Rebic ballooned over on the volley from a Leao pull-back and Bennacer’s strike was palmed round the upright.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic came on, but had a horrible clash of heads with Medel that left both veterans bleeding and the Chilean having to come off.
Alessandro Florenzi had a pop from distance, with Fikayo Tomori and Ibrahimovic headers off target. Deep into stoppages, Rebic rose to meet a corner, Skorupski palming the header out from under the bar.
Milan 0-0 Bologna