Bologna beats Cagliari to boost hopes of top-four finish in Serie A

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan fell further into crisis on Sunday as a stoppage-time penalty condemned it to a 2-1 defeat at home to Lazio in the Italian league.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Milan managed to level in the 84th minute but Pedro converted a penalty in the eighth minute of stoppages.

This was Milan's third straight Serie A loss amid a disastrous run that also saw the Rossoneri crash out of the Champions League.

Milan dropped to ninth in the standings and was leapfrogged by Roma after Claudio Ranieri’s team fought back to beat 10-man Como 2-1.

Lazio climbed back into fourth place — a point above Juventus, which hosts Hellas Verona on Monday.

Sixth-placed Bologna rallied to beat relegation-threatened Cagliari 2-1.

Late (and even later) drama

Lazio was also looking to get back to winning ways following two Serie A draws and being knocked out of the Italian Cup midweek by Inter Milan, also at San Siro.

Mattia Zaccagni gave Lazio the lead in the 28th minute. His initial attempt was saved by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan but Zaccagni tapped in the rebound.

Milan’s chances of getting something from the match diminished in the 67th when defender Strahinja Pavlovic was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Lazio midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi

Milan neverthless managed to find an equalizer when Rafael Leão whipped in a cross from the left for an unmarked Samuel Chukwueze to head in at the far post.

But there was even later drama when Lazio was awarded a penalty on video review after Maignan brought down visiting forward Gustav Isaksen. Pedro struck the spot kick into the bottom right corner.

Bologna boosts top 4 hopes

Riccardo Orsolini scored twice to help Bologna boost its chances of qualifying for the Champions League again.

Cagliari surprisingly reached the break ahead in Bologna after Roberto Piccoli’s 22nd-minute header.

But Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano made three changes at halftime and his team leveled almost immediately as Orsolini converted a penalty after Cagliari midfielder Mattia Felici fouled Nicolò Cambiaghi — one of those substitutes.

Cambiaghi also rolled the ball across for Orsolini to tap in and complete the turnaround eight minutes later.

Cagliari is three points above the relegation zone.

Impact subs

Substitute Alexis Saelemaekers took just 120 seconds to help Roma turn its match round.

Roma was trailing at home to Como following Lucas Da Cunha’s goal on the stroke of halftime.

But the match changed in the 61st minute. Saelemaekers, who had only just come off the bench, played a one-two with Zeki Çelik and then a stroke of luck saw his effort deflected by Como defender Edoardo Goldaniga, going in off the underside of the crossbar.

It quickly got worse for Como as it almost immediately went down to 10 men when defender Marc-Oliver Kempf was sent off following a second yellow card.

Halftime substitute Artem Dovbyk scored the winner in the 76th, volleying in a cross from Devyne Rensch — who had been on the field for less than two minutes.

It was Roma’s 11th league match unbeaten since a loss at Como on Dec. 15 and sent Ranieri’s team up to eighth, six points below Juventus.

Empoli, which surprisingly knocked defending champion Juventus out of the Italian Cup midweek, drew 1-1 at Genoa to remain in the bottom three, one point from safety.

Torino won 2-0 at bottom club Monza.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer