epa11698036 AC Milan’s midfielder Tijjani Rejjnders scores a goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Monza and AC Milan at the U-Power Stadium in Monza, Italy, November 2, 2024. EPA-EFE/ROBERTO BREGANI

Tijjani Reijnders returned from suspension to give Milan a much-needed win in Monza despite Rafael Leao being dropped again, but the hosts were left frustrated by a disallowed goal.

The Rossoneri were in crisis after losing two of their last three Serie A matches to Fiorentina and Napoli, but coach Paulo Fonseca took a stand by dropping Rafael Leao to the bench for the third round in a row . Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders returned from suspension, while Christian Pulisic shook off flu symptoms, but Matteo Gabbia, Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi were still injured. Monza managed just one win all season and were missing Stefano Sensi, Samuele Birindelli, Andrea Petagna and Alessio Cragno, while Matteo Pessina was only fit on the bench.

Watch how it unfolded on the Live Blog.

Monza had the ball in the net early on, with Milan Djuric nodding in Pedro Pereira’s cross for Dany Mota Carvalho’s half-volley, but the referee disallowed this due to an earlier Bondo push on Theo Hernandez. It was a referee’s decision, but had he played on it is unlikely VAR would have changed that ruling.

They should have scored after 15 minutes, but Daniel Maldini was able to go wide relatively undisturbed after Pedro Pereira’s withdrawal from the touchline.

At the other end, Noah Okafor’s weak finish squandered a chance when Pablo Mari cleared the ball from the back.

Maldini tested Mike Maignan from the edge of the penalty area, but the goalkeeper was forced to make a sensational one-handed response, save for Pedro Pereira’s header from Giorgos Kyriakopoulos’ cross. Maldini also headed inside the far post with an angled action, although that would not have counted due to Djuric’s offside position in the build-up.

Instead, it was Milan who took the lead on the counter when Pulisic’s cross from the right found an Alvaro Morata header that was fired in by Armando Izzo, but only as far as Reijnders who nodded in the rebound.

Another cross from Pulisic only grazed Morata’s head after the restart and in the resulting corner Reijnders tested Stefano Turati, while Rafael Leao was released in the last 27 minutes and went straight wide after the combination with Reijnders.

Theo Hernandez also stung Turati’s gloves with a fierce solo effort at the near stick, before having to be decisive at the other end with a crucial defensive header to prevent Danilo D’Ambrosio nodding in Kyriakopoulos’ cross at the back post .

Samuele Vignato couldn’t keep his volley on target and Morata nodded Theo Hernandez’s free-kick over the bar, but Rafael Leao made three tackles before storming into the penalty area straight at Turati, before firing into the air after taking a ball had been interrupted. Yunus Musah’s assist would have served Morata better.

Monza 0-1 Milan

Reijnders 43 (Mi)

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14

13

65′

38

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78′

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28

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19

42

89′

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29

7

11

89′

17

63′

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81′

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5

84

69

19

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52

33

65′

80

65′

10

78′

24

78′

27

87′

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57

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73

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81′

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89′