AC Milan‘s chances of qualifying for the next season’s Champions League were dealt a blow by a surprising 2-0 defeat to 18th-placed Spezia.
The hosts took the lead through Przemyslaw Wisniewski, and Salvatore Esposito’s impressive free-kick secured the win and improved Spezia’s survival prospects.
Milan, who lost 2-0 at home to rivals Inter Milan in their Champions League semi-final first leg, remain in fifth place, four points behind Lazio.
Sandro Tonali and Brahim Diaz hit the post for Milan, but Wisniewski pounced to score the opener after Kelvin Amian’s header hit the post.
Milan continued to push forward after conceding, but Esposito’s goal condemned them to their first league defeat against a team in the bottom three since 2017, and levelled Spezia with 17th-placed Verona on goal difference.
Milan’s manager, Stefano Pioli, acknowledged the disappointment from last week’s loss, but urged his team to focus on their upcoming match against Inter Milan, knowing that their future in both the Serie A and the Champions League is at stake.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan beat Sassuolo 4-2 to move back above Lazio into third place, five points ahead of Milan.
Romelu Lukaku, Ruan Tressoldi (own goal), and Lautaro Martinez scored for Inter, while Matheus Henrique and Davide Frattesi scored for Sassuolo. Lukaku scored his second goal late in the match to secure the win for Inter.