AC Milan, April 17 (BNA): Milan maintained its lead in the Italian Serie A football after beating relegation-threatened Genoa 2-0 on Friday.
Rafael Liao and Junior Messias helped Milan fall two points behind Inter after the defending champions beat Spezia 3-1 hours earlier, the Associated Press reported.
Inter have played one game less than Milan as they still have to play a postponed match against Bologna.
Milan will also meet on Tuesday in the Italian Cup semi-final second leg.
Genoa remained three points from the safety zone.
Milan was once again going through an injury crisis and struggling for goals before the match against Genoa. He entered against the background of two consecutive draws without goals and scored only four goals in the last seven matches
Veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a knee problem, the latest in a string of injuries this season.
Milan took the lead in the 11th minute when Pierre Kalulu sent a baffling cross from the right to the back post where Liao shot into the lower far corner.
The Rossoneri had few real goal-scoring opportunities, but should have doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Olivier Giroud curled Alexis Sailemaker’s cross over the crossbar from close range.
Milan decided the result three minutes before the end of time. Genoa goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu saved Messi’s first shot brilliantly with one hand, but the Rossoneri striker fired on the rebounds.
super sub
Substitute Lautaro Martinez came back from suspension to score one goal and set up another as Inter continued to put pressure on their city rivals.
The Nerazzurri struggled to have a quiet day in Spezia and almost conceded an early net but Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic thrust away from his line and grabbed the ball after a difficult challenge from team-mate Ivan Perisic.
Inter Milan broke the deadlock on the 31st with his first shot on goal. Marcelo Brozovic started the move and completed it as he smashed a pass into the area to Danilo D’Ambrosio, who shook it again for the Croatian midfielder to drive it into the upper left corner.
Martinez, who missed last weekend’s victory in Hellas Verona due to suspension, came off the bench after the hour and doubled his side’s lead after 13 minutes.
Perisic ran a cross pass to the left flank and penetrated inside before being whipped into a low cross by Martinez in the far corner with his back to the goal.
Spezia captain Giulio Maggiore put in a rough end when he halved the difference with a superb shot into the upper left corner in the 88th minute, but Alexis Sanchez secured the score in stoppage time.
The referee waved play after a foul on Sanchez and the Inter striker returned to fire Martinez’s pass into the lower left corner.
There was a rather strange incident involving Spezia striker M’bala going down. He came in his sixties, but the referee discovered his big earring and ordered him to take it off. Nzola spent several minutes fiddling with him on the touchline with the help of the Spezia crew, but was unable to remove him and had to substitute him, 10 minutes after he entered the field.