Milan got wrapped up in saluting Stefano Pioli, Olivier Giroud (with a goal) and Simon Kjaer, so Salernitana came back for a 3-3 thriller at San Siro.
This was the final game of the season and the opportunity for coach Stefano Pioli and players like Olivier Giroud and Simon Kjaer to say goodbye. Mike Maignan and Samuel Chukwueze were injured, while Salernitana made the trip without suspended Toma Basic, plus Federico Fazio, Kostas Manolas, Guillermo Ochoa, Jerome Boateng, Domagoj Bradaric, Agustin Martegani and Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Vincenzo Fiorillo had to make two big saves in the opening three minutes, first using his legs to deny Giroud at the near post, then palming away the Rafael Leao curler.
ONE OF THE WORST GOALKEEPER MISTAKES YOU'LL SEE ALL SEASON 😳
Rafael Leao is gifted an opening goal 🎁
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 25, 2024
Christian Pulisic also tested the goalkeeper from the right, but after so many good saves, Fiorillo gifted Milan the opener by fumbling an easy Tijjani Reijnders ball over the top, allowing Rafael Leao to deposit into an empty net. The Portuguese star ran over to hug Pioli on the touchline.
Wholesome moment as the entire AC Milan team celebrate with Stefano Pioli, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season 🥹❤️️
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 25, 2024
Soon after, it was 2-0 with another special moment, as departing Giroud volleyed in the Alessandro Florenzi corner from nine yards on his final game before leaving for LAFC.
Of course Olivier Giroud had to score this in his final game for AC Milan 😮💨
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 25, 2024
Fiorillo again kept the scoreline down with a reaction save on Tomori’s header from another Florenzi corner, while both Theo Hernandez and Davide Calabria saw their strikes desperately charged down in the same move by Norbert Gyomber and Junior Sambia.
Theo Hernandez had the ball in the net on 37 minutes from nine yards, but it was disallowed as Rafael Leao was offside before the pull-back.
Fiorillo denied Theo Hernandez again with a boot at the near post after a solo run, then flew to fingertip a Matteo Gabbia header out from under the bar on yet another Florenzi corner.
The Curva Sud terminated their silent protest for the second half following several weeks of their angry reaction to the way the club has been run.
Antonio Candreva drilled inches over from distance and Salernitana did get one back with Nwankwo Simy allowed a totally free header from six yards on the Sambia corner.
Simy threatened an equaliser moments later with another free header at the back post, this time kept out by Antonio Mirante’s save.
Giroud scuffed a lob into the goalkeeper’s arms after a strong Theo Hernandez run, but it was Davide Calabria who got the third Milan goal with a glancing header from Christian Pulisic’s cross from the left.
Davide Calabria extends AC Milan's lead to 3-1 and it's yet another assist for Christian Pulisic 🤝
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 25, 2024
Giroud was granted a standing ovation as he left the field at San Siro in the Milan jersey for the final time.
However, Salernitana weren’t done yet and a Sambia daisy-cutter squirmed through a sea of legs into the far bottom corner, then debutant Milan goalkeeper Nava only palmed a Loum Tchaouna angled drive into the path of Simy’s tap-in.
Salernitana score two goals in quick succession to make it 3-3 against AC Milan! 💥
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 25, 2024
Milan 3-3 Salernitana
Rafael Leao 22 (M), Giroud 27 (M), Simy 64, 89 (S), Calabria 77 (M), Sambia 87 (S)
Player statistic
| Rafael Leão |  |
22' | ||
| Olivier Giroud (Assist: Alessandro Florenzi) |
|
27' |
| 51' |  |
Niccolò Pierozzi | ||
| 64' | |
Simy (Assist: Junior Sambia) | ||
| Davide Calabria (Assist: Christian Pulisic) |
|
77' | ||
| 87' | |
Junior Sambia | ||
| 89' | |
Simy |
Match statistic
Goodbye Giroud. Goodbye Pioli. I hope we never ever see you again. Never been so relieved for a season to conclude. Absolute and utter capitulation. These people have made this club regress by 5 years.