Udinese Stuns AC Milan with 1-0 Victory at San Siro in Serie A Showdown

 Udinese Stuns AC Milan with 1-0 Victory at San Siro in Serie A Showdown

AC Milan's Swiss forward #17 Noah Okafor (C) fights for the ball with Udinese's Argentinian midfielder #37 Roberto Pereyra during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Udinese at San Siro stadium in Milan, on November 04, 2023(Image-Getty)

AC Milan's Struggles Continue as Udinese Secures 1-0 Upset Victory at San Siro in Serie A

AC Milan's woes persisted as they suffered a lackluster 1-0 defeat against Udinese at San Siro in Serie A on Saturday. Roberto Pereyra's successful conversion of a penalty in the 62nd minute handed Udinese the crucial win, extending Milan's winless streak to four games across all competitions and leaving them trailing the top spot by six points.

Despite dominating the first half, Milan failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, allowing Udinese to capitalize on their defensive lapses. Stefano Pioli's side had previously endured a 1-0 home loss to Juventus and a 2-2 draw against Napoli, with a 3-0 defeat to Paris St Germain in between these Serie A fixtures.

With this latest setback, Milan currently sits in third place with 22 points from 11 games, falling behind league leaders Inter Milan, who secured a 2-1 victory over Atalanta earlier on the same day. The Rossoneri remain one point adrift of second-placed Juventus, who are set to face Fiorentina on Sunday.

Udinese's triumph marked their second consecutive victory against Milan in Serie A, a feat they last achieved in 2017 when they emerged victorious against the Rossoneri with a 3-1 scoreline in their previous encounter in March.

Reflecting on the match, Pioli expressed his disappointment with Milan's subpar performance, acknowledging the increasing difficulty they faced as the game progressed. He highlighted the team's struggle to create scoring opportunities and conceded that the awarded penalty ultimately led to their defeat. Despite the setback, Pioli emphasized the team's determination to prepare for their upcoming Champions League clash against Paris St Germain, acknowledging the formidable challenge ahead.

Milan captain Davide Calabria came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half, only to be denied by Udinese's goalkeeper, Marco Silvestri, who continued to showcase his prowess throughout the game. Silvestri's heroic saves, including a crucial denial of Olivier Giroud's attempt in the 90th minute and a powerful shot by Alessandro Florenzi in stoppage time, solidified Udinese's victory and ensured a clean sheet for his team.

The defeat marked a rare occurrence for Milan, as they failed to score in consecutive league games at home for the first time since January 2020, and endured successive losses at San Siro for the first time since September 2019. Meanwhile, Udinese's triumph lifted them to 16th place with 10 points, now three points clear of the relegation zone, providing a much-needed boost for the team early in the season.