Milan Snatch the Night as Aranda Strikes at 90
AC Milan’s late victory over Frosinone headlined Sunday’s Serie A round, while Torino swept aside Empoli and Inter kept their narrow lead over Juventus.
90 minutes, and then the blow that changed the evening. Javier Aranda struck for AC Milan at the death on Sunday, sealing a 3-2 victory over Frosinone in a match that refused to obey any quiet script.
Milan’s late act
Frosinone had drawn first blood through Simone Gioia, whose shot from close range travelled along the ground through the middle. Viviano Neri levelled for Milan with a low header near a post, and Alan Black put the home side ahead on 61 minutes with a low, hard drive.
Daniele Montebugnoli restored the balance for Frosinone with a low shot from close range. Then, at 90 minutes, Aranda’s shot from outside the box rose high and found a place near the post. The final score: AC Milan 3, Frosinone 2. Destiny arrived late, and Milan did not turn away.
Black was named the game’s outstanding player. The points lift a Rossoneri evening that had looked ready to become a tale of frustration; instead, the crowd of 58,359 saw the final word belong to Milan.
Torino’s force
At Empoli, Torino converted their authority into a 3-0 win. Nehoray Tzadok-Haker opened the scoring on 48 minutes with a high header from close range near a post. Álex drove the second low along the ground from close range and near a post, and Filippo Morselli completed the scoring with a low drive from close range through the middle on 65 minutes.
Mariano Aravena was the pulse of the performance, involved in two assists and two key passes, and winning eight tackles. Empoli had the ball as often as Torino, but the visitors fashioned the sharper danger: nine shots on target to five and four clear-cut chances to none. Roberto De Simone made five saves, but the contest was already turning Torino’s way. Aravena was the round’s finest individual display, and his team climbed to sixth; Empoli remain eighth.
A derby’s broken rhythm
The Rome derby ended 1-1, with neither side able to claim the city’s prize. S.S. Lazio led through Emerson Salazar, who volleyed from close range at mid height after his own effort had been blocked or saved. Roma’s André Luiz was sent off on 16 minutes, leaving the visitors to endure a long contest with ten men. Giuseppe Alberico supplied the late reply on 88 minutes, a drive along the ground, and was the game’s outstanding player.
The draw leaves Lazio ninth and Roma 10th: a point each, and no escape from the close company. The red card threatened to make the derby a one-sided tragedy, but Alberico’s late answer denied Lazio the ending they wanted.
Small margins, heavy points
Juventus beat Cittadella 1-0 through Yeremay Escobar’s 25th-minute goal, a shot with the foot at mid height. Marcelo Kaneko was the game’s outstanding player. Cittadella’s Dino Naarendorp was sent off in stoppage time, and the defeat leaves them 20th, deep in the relegation zone. Juventus remain second, one point behind FC Internazionale Milano, both having played 34 games.
ACF Fiorentina strengthened fourth place with a 2-0 win over Bari. Gianpaolo Massimo scored twice, first from the penalty on 31 minutes, then with a low shot on 66. He was the outstanding player. Bologna FC 1909 beat Udinese Calcio 2-0: Massimo Costa’s own goal opened the way before Tiziano Rigamonti added a late second. Brendon Thomas stood out, as Bologna moved to 11th and Udinese fell to 17th. Crotone and Cosenza drew 1-1.
Inter lead on 81 points; Juventus have 80, with Napoli third on 74. At the bottom, Cosenza have 28 points in 18th, Perugia 26 in 19th and Cittadella 17 in 20th. One point separates the leaders, and Cittadella have suffered another bitter defeat.