Jovic salvages point for ailing Milan at Salernitana

MILAN: Luka Jovic saved a point for AC Milan at Salernitana with his last-gasp leveller in Friday´s 2-2 draw at Serie A´s bottom club.

Serbia forward Jovic lashed home his third goal in as many league games from Olivier Giroud´s deft knock-down to stop third-placed Milan from falling to an embarrassing defeat.

Antonio Candreva seemed to have shot Salernitana to a shock win when his long-distance effort squirmed under usually reliable Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan in the 63rd minute.

Candreva also set up Federico Fazio´s leveller after Fikayo Tomori had nodded the away side ahead in the 17th minute.

Jovic´s equaliser leaves Salernitana four points behind Udinese who sit just outside the relegation zone and are at Torino on Sunday.

Meanwhile Milan risk losing further ground on league leaders Inter Milan who are eight points in front of their local rivals ahead of Sunday´s clash with Lecce at the San Siro.

“The hardest thing to do here was to throw away this match and that´s what we did,” coach Stefano Pioli told DAZN. “We were controlling the match but we got distracted and at this level you can´t do that.”

Pioli´s team are also now looking over their shoulders in the top-four battle as Fiorentina closed to within three points in fourth after winning 1-0 at Monza thanks to an early Lucas Beltran strike. Milan also lost Tomori to injury, the 30th of what seems to be a cursed season for the seven-time European champions.

Bologna host Atalanta high on confidence after knocking Inter out of the Italian Cup and can move two points behind Milan in fourth with a win on Sunday.

Inter´s closest rivals Juventus are four points off the pace and take on entertaining Frosinone in Sunday´s opening fixture.