Saturday 7 March 2015 22:23, UK
Substitute Nico Lopez punished AC Milan for trying to sit on the slenderest of leads by forcing a 2-2 draw for Hellas Verona with the last kick of the game at San Siro.
The first half had been a tale of two penalties, with Luca Toni converting from the spot before Jeremy Menez followed suit to draw Milan level.
Philippe Mexes was the unlikely scorer of what looked like being the winning goal shortly after half-time, but instead of urging his men to push on, coach Filippo Inzaghi ordered a hasty retreat.
Milan inevitably came undone in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Uruguayan forward Lopez used his fresh legs to secure an unlikely Serie A point for 13th-placed Verona.
Victory would have fired the Rossoneri up to seventh, but they instead remain mired in mid-table.
After sizing their hosts up for quarter of an hour Verona pushed for the opener and Toni nearly grabbed it when Diego Lopez rushed out to snaffle Panagiotis Tachtsidis' early cross.
The veteran striker shot high over the bar but would have better luck in the 18th minute.
Sulley Muntari could make no excuses when he hacked Artur Ionita down in the area and Toni stepped up to the spot before fooling Diego Lopez with a deft chip down the middle.
Chances were exchanged either side of the half-hour with Eros Pisano denying Alessio Cerci a tap-in while, at the other end, Ionita got the better of Muntari before working Diego Lopez at the near post.
Then Mexes, back in the heart of Milan's defence after a lengthy ban, should have equalised with a blockbuster effort from fully 30 yards that shaved paint off a post.
Milan would head into half-time on level terms, however, as Bosko Jankovic's challenge on Mexes led referee Piero Giacomelli to award a second spot-kick.
Unlike Toni, Menez opted for power over finesse and blasted his penalty straight over Francesco Benussi's shoulders.
Mexes' contribution following the restart was a greater one as he boosted Milan into the lead.
After Rafael Marques slipped in the box the Hellas defence were lift in disarray, Pisano's poor clearance clattering off Tachtsidis and allowing Mexes to steal in and flick home at the near post.
The Rossoneri almost pulled two goals clear in the 51st minute when Menez's pass fooled Vangelis Moras and found Giampaolo Pazzini, only for a quick-thinking Benussi to punch the ball clear.
Milan did not press home their authority when they had the chance and Verona wrested control of proceedings, culminating in Tachtsidis rattling the crossbar with an attempt from the D.
Fearing a late leveller, the ever-cautious Inzaghi swapped striker Pazzini for defender Salvatore Bocchetti.
But Verona had already made a better substitution, one that would secure a valuable point.
Nico Lopez, on for Jankovic in the 79th minute, led a Verona counter-attack in stoppage time, skipping past Bocchetti and Mexes to slide Juanito Gomez's pass underneath Diego Lopez.
