MILAN: AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric rolled back the years to score an 85th-minute winner for a 2-1 victory at bottom side Pisa as the visiting side closed the gap on Serie A leader Inter Milan at the Arena Garibaldi on Friday night.
Second-placed Milan has 53 points from 24 games, five behind Inter, which hosts fourth-placed Juventus on Saturday.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was also on target for Milan, which lost Adrien Rabiot to a late red card for a second bookable offence as it was made to work hard for the win after Felipe Loyola’s first goal for Pisa had provided a second-half equalizer.
Niclas Fullkrug missed a penalty for the visiting side in what looked as though it might be a frustrating night, before 40-year-old Modric got the winner five minutes from time.
Milan broke the deadlock after 39 minutes with its first attempt on target. Zachary Athekame’s excellent cross from the right was steered into the net with his head by Loftus-Cheek.
It was awarded a penalty when Loyola felled Strahinja Pavlovic in the box, but Fullkrug put ?his spot-kick wide.
Pisa was level after 71 minutes and it was the man who gave away the penalty who scored. The ball broke kindly in the box to Loyola and he took a touch before firing low into the back of the net from 12 metres, his first goal for the club.
But when it needed him most, Croatian Modric provided the tonic for Milan as he burst into the box to latch onto a loose ball and poke it into the back of the net from close range.
The loss leaves Pisa on 15 points from 25 games, six points from the safety zone after one win so far in the campaign. Agencies
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