It was only a Matchday 24 match in Serie A, but Milan's meeting with Como on Wednesday may very well have been a final.
After a dismal eighth-place finish that saw them miss out on European football, Milan have bounced back upon the return of Massimiliano Allegri to the touchline, ascending to the top of the table in December after a run of three straight wins. That same month would see Milan lose to Lazio in the Coppa Italia and Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana, meaning that, if the Rossoneri were to avoid a trophyless season, they'd need to do so by winning the Scudetto.
Initially, it seemed that Milan were capable of doing just that after returning from Saudi Arabia with wins vs. Hellas Verona and Cagliari, only to draw 1-1 in their next two matches against relegation battlers Genoa and Fiorentina. Milan managed to bounce back with a comeback 3-1 win at Como and a 1-0 win vs. Lecce, but they would slip on another banana peel after failing to hold onto their lead and drawing 1-1 at Roma.
Milan rebounded with a 3-0 win at Bologna and a 2-1 win at Pisa and headed into their midweek fixture with ambitions of securing three straight wins for the first time since September. They knew that, going up against an Inter side that had won each of its last six in all competitions and climbed to the top of the Serie A table, they had no other option besides winning it. Instead, they got a cruel reality check.
Como were gifted the opening goal as Mike Maignan bizarrely handed the ball to Nico Paz who deftly trapped it before calmly slotting it into the back of the net. Milan refused to lie down and fought back, with Fikayo Tomori playing a one-two and striking a fearsome shot that was thwarted by Jean Butez. Como nearly doubled the lead via a corner kick only to squander the opportunity, which would come back to bite them.
Milan were able to level things up in the 64th minute as Youssouf Fofana brilliantly well to twist out of pressure on the edge of his own box before dishing it off to Ardon Jashari, who carved out a world-class long ball to Rafael Leão. The Portuguese striker timed his run to perfection and allowed it to bounce before striking a magnificent chip past the onrushing Butez, proving why the likes of Gabriele Marcotti have dubbed him one of the best forwards in the game. It was a magnificent strike from the start to finish, but it was also far too irregular for them to deserve the three points.
The Rossoneri nearly found the go-ahead goal as Alexis Saelemaekers shimmied past his man and fired in a cross towards Fofana, whose header sailed north. After a sequence that saw Como nearly retake the lead, only for Martin Baturina to hit the side-netting, Allegri was sent off after some choice words for the officials en route to a 1-1 draw.
Whereas Como have secured yet another impressive result against one of Serie A's biggest sides, Milan have missed a golden opportunity to close the distance on their crosstown rivals. They sit second in the table, seven points behind Inter, four above Napoli, seven above Roma, eight above Juventus, and 12 above Como and Atalanta, and they'll be looking to respond with a victory against Parma at the weekend.
Time is of the essence: if Milan are to hang onto their presence in this title race, they have no other choice but to win their next two matches vs. Parma and Cremonese before taking on Inter in a match that could very well determine the Scudetto.
