Pulisic returns from injury in Milan draw

MILAN (AP):

UNITED STATES international Christian Pulisic returned from injury and came close to scoring the winner for AC Milan in a 2-2 draw at relegation-threatened Parma yesterday after the visitors squandered an early 2-0 lead.

The point moved Milan level with defending champions Napoli, who face a tricky trip to Bologna today.

Inter Milan and Roma were a point further back and also play today, against Lazio and Udinese, respectively.

Juventus were left in fifth, three points behind the top two, after a 0-0 draw at home to Torino in a derby match.

Milan would have gone top with a win and took the lead in the 12th minute. Christopher Nkunku laid the ball off to Alexis Saelemaekers, who cut inside and drilled a precise shot into the bottom left corner.

Saelemaekers also earned the penalty that saw the Rossoneri double their lead in the 25th although it was needless from Parma as the Belgium winger was dribbling his way towards the byline when he was fouled by Iliman Ndiaye.

Rafael Leão stroked the ball into the bottom left corner.

Milan appeared to be in complete control but Parma got back into the match in first-half stoppage time when Adrián Bernabé curled a left-foot strike into the far top corner from the left edge of the area.

And Parma levelled in the 62nd minute when Enrico Delprato headed in Sascha Britschgi’s cross.

Pulisic was brought on in 70th minute for his first appearance in nearly a month, following a hamstring injury on international duty.

DECISIVE IMPACT

And he almost had a decisive impact six minutes later as he raced onto Leão’s backheeled flick and only had the goalkeeper to beat, but fired just past the right post.

It was a precious point for Parma who moved two points above the drop zone.

Both goalkeepers were decisive as Juventus were held to another disappointing draw.

Torino goalkeeper Alberto Paleari pulled off a quick reaction save to keep out a header from U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie.

His Juventus counterpart Michele Di Gregorio had earlier denied Ché Adams with a one-handed save.

Juventus won Luciano Spalletti’s first match in charge – 2-1 at Cremonese last weekend – but were held to a draw by Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Lecce and Hellas Verona played out a 0-0 draw which did little to help either side at the wrong end of the table.

Verona remained winless and second from bottom in the standings, two points from safety and four below Lecce.

Cagliari remained level with Lecce after also holding Como to a goalless draw. Como were just three points below the top four ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.