Olivier Giroud scored an extraordinary acrobatic last-gasp winner for Milan after Theo Hernandez and Daniel Maldini goals, but was sent off for taking his shirt off to celebrate.
It puts them in second place ahead of Atalanta, six points adrift of leaders Napoli.
The Rossoneri were celebrating Champions League Round of 16 qualification, but also needed to get back on track domestically after the surprise defeat to Torino. Mike Maignan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Davide Calabria, Alexis Saelemaekers and Alessandro Florenzi were still out of action, while Spezia missed Emmanuel Gyasi, Simone Bastoni, Viktor Kovalenko and suspended Dimitrios Nikolaou. The visitors had an extraordinary run of zero points and zero goals in all six away games this season, but famously won here last term after a stoppage-time refereeing error.
Rafael Leao went on a strong run at the touchline shrugging off three tackles to set up Fikayo Tomori, who horribly scuffed the finish, allowing Bartlomiej Dragowski to parry with a trailing foot.
Moments later there was a huge double chance, as Rade Krunic smashed a strike onto the frame of the goal, then on the rebound Brahim Diaz was denied by Dragowski’s legs.
Dragowski also palmed a Junior Messias effort over the bar, but Theo Hernandez was at the back post when he scored with a splendid chest and volley on the Ismael Bennacer ball over the top. The celebrations were muted, because it took almost five minutes for VAR to finally confirm it was not offside.
Ciprian Tatarusanu had some difficulty smothering a Mattia Caldara header from a corner, then M’Bala Nzola failed to make the most of a Pierre Kalulu error, while Brahim Diaz twice got into a good position only to pick the wrong pass.
Tatarusanu also ran a huge risk rushing off his line, fortunate that Nzola lost his footing and turned wide of the empty net.
Milan were unlucky on the stroke of half-time, as Leao’s strike was deflected onto the crossbar and Krunic saw his follow-up cleared off the line.
Spezia also threatened moments later, as Medhi Bourabia rolled across the six-yard box and Nzola failed to connect for the tap-in.
Origi tested Dragowski with an angled drive, while Albin Ekdal’s free header was over from six yards. Of all the people to score the equaliser at San Siro, and Spezia’s first away goal of the season, it had to be Daniel Maldini. On loan from Milan and the son of the Rossoneri director, Daniel curled a right-foot finish into the far bottom corner from just inside the penalty area.
Sandro Tonali thought he’d restored their lead with a spectacular right-foot rocket from outside the D into the top corner on Origi’s assist. However, it was disallowed following a VAR on-field review for an earlier Tomori foul on Nzola in the build-up.
A Daniele Verde wayward lob landed on the roof of the net, while Charles De Ketelaere’s attempted tap-in was deflected over from point-blank range. There was also a scuffle that saw Theo Hernandez, Giroud and Nzola all booked.
In the final minute, Milan found a breakthrough, as Tonali’s cross found Giroud at the far post for an astonishing, acrobatic flying volley. He took off his shirt to celebrate wildly and forgot the yellow card, so it was inevitably a second booking and red card. Both Theo Hernandez and Giroud will be suspended midweek against Cremonese.
Milan 2-1 Spezia
Theo Hernandez 21 (M), Maldini 59 (S), Giroud 89 (M)
Sent off: Giroud 90 (M)
I forgive you Giroud 😀
Spezia robbed
@capello
clearly trolling. Milan could’ve scored 3 in first twenty minutes, hit post and bar, and a second phase var decision kept spezia in the game. that on top of the refree giving two corners to spezia when they’d gone off their players 😂
robbed 😂😂😂
@ Capello
Are you out of your mind??? How on earth were they robbed?!?
From the first minute it was clear that Spezia wouldn’t survive simply because they can’t defend. However I was surprised to see that it took that long for Milan to find the winning goal. Milan willl drop so many points against weaker sides this season