Ball after ball is flung into the Milan penalty area, but the visitors are just about managing to hold on. They have plenty of bodies camped deep inside their own half of the pitch as they aim to keep hold of their slender lead for the final few seconds of the game. The third-tier side have pushed their Serie A opponents hard but it looks as if they're not going to be able to leave the Stadio Olimpico di Torino with a goal under their belts.
90' +2
Sloppy passing from Milan allows Alessandria the opportunity to break forward on a quick counter-attack. They initially move the ball around well in the middle of the pitch before Fischnaller tries to tee up Sabato, who had made a good run down the left wing, but the midfielder's pass is poor and ends up bouncing out of play for a throw-in.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be four minutes of added time.
88'
Adriano picks up the ball in space deep inside the Alessandria half of the pitch and immediately charges towards the edge of the box. He's fouled by a rash challenge from Morero but the referee waves for play to go on, which allows Montolivo to unleash a thumping low shot from 20 yards out that Vannucchi does well to stop with a well-timed diving save.
86'
C. Sosa gets yellow.
Sosa cynically fouls Honda as the Japan international tries to break away and earns himself a late yellow card as a result.
85'
J. Kucka enters the game and replaces K. Boateng.
And now Milan have made their final alteration, with Boateng making way for Kucka.
84'
Niang hits the post! Once again the striker flies forward on an excellent run after finding himself left completely alone inside the Alessandria half of the pitch. He charges towards the edge of the penalty area before beating Vannucchi with an excellent low strike, but it ends up deflecting off the woodwork and away from danger. What a let off for the hosts, who were at sixes and sevens at the back!
83'
F. Boniperti enters the game and replaces M. Marras.
alessandria have made their final substitution of the evening, with Boniperti coming on to replace Marras.
82'
Milan, who have plenty of bodies back inside their own penalty area, comfortably deal with the resulting set-piece before once again attempting to take advantage of the space left inside the Alessandria half of the pitch by the hosts. The minnows are committing plenty of men forward, but that is starting to cause them problems at the other end.
81'
Fischnaller goes close! The winger shows great skill to beat two Milan players before unleashing a low shot from the edge of the visitors' box, but it takes a slight deflection off the feet of Romagnoli, which sends his effort just past the far post and out for a corner.
Minute
Description
79'
Chance for Niang! After dealing with the last Alessandria attack, Milan immediately break away on an incredibly quick counter-attack. Antonelli blasts the ball up into the other end of the pitch, where it almost finds the striker on the edge of the penalty area, but Vannucchi does wonderfully well to rush out before dealing with the danger with a thumped clearance.
78'
Marras finds himself in the thick of the action once again, and this time he tries to cut a pass back to Bocalon, who is in a good position inside the Milan penalty area. The winger's ball towards the striker is poorly hit, however, and misses him before finding the feet of Romagnoli.
76'
Alessandria patiently work their way down the right flank before Marras cuts inside and unleashes a rocket of a shot from the edge of the Milan penalty area. It flies through the clump of red and black shirts in front of him before missing the far post by a few yards, and once again the Serie A side are saved by poor shooting from the hosts.
74'
Milan score, but it's ruled out for offside! Poli picks up the ball in the middle of the pitch and immediately unleashes a thumping strike from 25 yards out. It deflects off the side of Morero before flying past Vannucchi and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, but the referee immediately disallows it, believing that the ball had hit Niang. The visitors immediately plead to the man in charge to overturn his decision but he refuses to do so and instead awards a free-kick to Alessandria.
72'
M. Niang enters the game and replaces M. Balotelli.
Niang is almost immediately presented with a chance on goal as he tries to latch onto a pass forward from Poli, but the midfielder's ball into the Alessandria penalty area ends up missing the striker by the narrowest of margins before finding the hands of Vannucchi.
71'
Milan have made their second change of the night, with Balotelli making way for Niang for the final 20 minutes.
69'
Alessandria are getting closer! Once again the hosts fly forward, and it is they who are now firmly on the front foot. Bocalon, who has made a big impact since coming onto the pitch, twists and turns on the edge of the Milan box before unleashing a rocket of a shot, but it ends up flying just wide of the near post.
67'
Chance for Nicco! A lovely attacking move characterised by quick passing ends with the Alessandria midfielder on the edge of the penalty area, but he swipes at the ball and ends up sending it flying over the top of the Milan crossbar with a wild strike. He really should have done better with that effort!
65'
Fischnaller goes close! The winger is thoroughly enjoying himself at the moment as he continues to find himself in the thick of the action. This time he charges towards the edge of the Milan penalty area before unleashing a lovely strike towards the bottom left-hand corner of the net, but it ends up rolling just wide of its intended target after beating the outstretched arm of Abbiati.
63'
R. Montolivo enters the game and replaces J. Mauri.
And now Milan have made an alteration, with Mauri making way for Montolivo.
61'
Alessandria scream for a penalty, but nothing is given! Milan are unable to clear the ball out of their own penalty area, allowing Fischnaller to unleash a thumping volley from the edge of the box. It flies straight into Zapata before deflecting off the chest of the defender and away from danger. The hosts all immediately appeal for the referee to point to the spot for what they see as a handball, but the man in charge doesn't agree and waves away their protests.
60'
R. Bocalon enters the game and replaces M. Marconi.
A. Mezavilla enters the game and replaces M. Loviso.
And the second is Mezavilla, who takes the place of Loviso.
Alessandria have decided to make a double substitution. The first player to come on is in-form striker Bocalon, who replaces Marconi.
59'
Audacious strike by Loviso! The defensive midfielder picks the ball up in the middle of the pitch and spots Abbiati off his line, resulting in him immediately trying to beat the veteran goalkeeper. His long-range effort isn't hit well enough, however, and it's dealt with by the Milan shot-stopper.
57'
Another chance for Fischnaller! Once again the youngster is involved in a promising attacking move for Alessandria as he weaves his way down the left flank. He then cuts inside before unleashing a thumping 30-yard strike, but Abbiati has it covered and is able to watch it sail a few yards over the top of the crossbar.
55'
After spending the opening 10 minutes of the second half largely on the back foot, Alessandria are able to push forward on a determined attacking move of their own. Fischnaller, who has arguably been the hosts' best player thus far, twists and turns on the edge of the Milan box before teeing up Marras, but the latter's first-time strike ends up bouncing off the outstretched leg of Antonelli and into the hands of Abbiati.
53'
Nervy moment at the back for Alessandria! Antonelli flies through the hosts' disjointed back line before going one-on-one with Vannucchi, who is just about able to dart out and push the ball away from the left-back. However, he can only send it into the feet of Adriano, but just as the Brazilian is about to shoot the goalkeeper is saved by the linesman, who eventually raises his flag for offside against the aforementioned Milan full-back.
51'
Excellent chance for Honda to make it 2-0! Balotelli charges into the left-hand side of the penalty area and beats his marker with ease before cutting a lovely pass back to the aforementioned Japan international, but he ends up thumping his close-range strike off a grey shirt and out for a corner, which Alessandria are easily able to deal with.
50'
R. Sabato gets yellow.
Sabato becomes the second Alessandria player to enter the referee's book for a clumsy challenge midway inside his own half of the pitch.
48'
After a good start to the second half from the hosts, Fischnaller breaks down the left flank on a marauding run before cutting inside and unleashing a thumping strike from 30 yards out. However, the winger's audiacious effort fails to trouble Abbiati and ends up clearing the top of the crossbar by quite some distance.
46'
And we're underway once again!
45'
With only a few seconds left until half-time and with Alessandria firmly on the back foot, Milan try to break forward on one last attack. De Sciglio picks up the ball near the halfway line and immediately launches it towards Honda, who had made a good run down the right wing, but the Japan international is quickly out-muscle by Sabato, who does well to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick.
43'
Penalty goal scored by M. Balotelli for AC Milan!
GOAL! Balotelli steps up and calmly sends an excellent strike into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, sending Vannucchi the wrong way to score his first goal since September. What a way to mark your return!
42'
S. Morero gets yellow.
PENALTY! Alessandria are unable to clear the ball from their half of the pitch, allowing Milan to come back once again. Antonelli charges down the left flank on an excellent run before penetrating the left-hand side of the box, where Morero sticks out a foot and ends up sending the full-back flying to the ground. He immediately screams for a penalty and the referee quickly agrees, taking just a second or so to point to the spot.
41'
And now De Sciglio goes close! Milan have increased the tempo of their attacks over the past few minutes, and Alessandria are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with them. This time it's the aforementioned right-back who gets himself into a good position after flying down the right wing, but just as he's about to shoot he's dispossessed by a great tackle from Loviso.
39'
What a chance for Balotelli to make it 1-0! An excellent pass from Honda bounces through the disjointed Alessandria back line and into the path of the striker, who had made a fantastic run into the penalty area. He immediately tries to beat Vannucchi with a first-time volley that flies over the head of the goalkeeper, but it's not hit cleanly enough and ends up flying agonisingly wide of the far post. That was easily Milan's best opportunity thus far!
37'
After Boateng gives away possession with a poor cross-field pass, Branco muscles his way into the Milan half of the pitch before being bundled over by Mauri, resulting in a free-kick for Alessandria in a similar position to their last one. This time Loviso takes the visitors by surprise with a chipped pass past the wall and into the path of Marras, but it's slightly overhit and, as a result, the winger is unable to make contact with the ball before it rolls out of play.
35'
With the majority of Milan's players camped inside the Alessandria half of the pitch, the hosts use the opportunity to break forward on a quick counter-attack down the left wing. Fischnaller initially does well to run into the visitors' half of the pitch before having to spin and send the ball back to Branca, who immediately unleashes a poor cross-cum-shot that flies comfortably over the top of the crossbar.
34'
Chance for Milan! Adriano picks up the ball deep down the left wing and does well to evade a sliding tackle from Sosa before sending a low pass into the feet of Mauri. The midfielder, who is in a good position inside the penalty area, then spins before teeing up Poli, but the latter's thumping low strike is well saved by the outstretched legs of Vannucchi.
32'
It's Alessandria who find themselves on the front foot due to Milan's decision to take their foot off the pedal ever so slightly, but once again they are unable to make their possession count. This time it's Sabato who fires a wild cross away from Marconi and out for a goal kick, bringing a promising attacking move to a disappointing end.
30'
Alessandria are able to get themselves into good positions twice in quick succession, but on both occasions poor crossing lets them down. First it's Fischnaller who thumps his attempted pass past Marconi and out to the right wing, before Nicco's follow-up fails to find the aforementioned striker before bouncing out for a throw-in.
28'
Antonelli is finding an increasing amount of joy whenever pushing forward down the left wing, and, as a result, Milan are now directing the majority of their attacking moves through him. The full-back charges forward and heads towards the byline before cutting a well-placed pass back to Balotelli, but the striker's first time strike is sent too near to Vannucchi and the goalkeeper is easily able to save the effort as a result.
26'
Milan push forward once again as they aim to continue the pressure they've been putting on the Alessandria back line, and this time it's Adriano who is presented with a good chance in front of goal. The Brazilian picks up the ball inside the penalty area and immediately unleashes a thumping shot, but Morero does wonderfully well to throw his body in the way of the strike to stop it from troubling Vannucchi.
24'
Antonelli charges forward on a marauding run down the right flank before working the ball over to Boateng, who is waiting patiently on the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder quickly tees up Balotelli, who then tries to pick out the aforementioned left-back with a chipped pass into the Alessandria penalty area, but Sosa is there to cut out the danger before thumping the ball towards the halfway line.
23'
The resulting set-piece fails to trouble the Milan defence, who stand tall and comfortably clear the initial danger. Alessandria come back once again, this time through Marras down the right wing, but the midfielder is unable to beat Antonelli with his low cross, allowing the visitors to break away on a quick counter-attack.
22'
Loviso is fouled 30 yards away from the Milan goal, resulting in a free-kick for Alessandria in a dangerous position in the middle of the pitch. After intensely eyeing up his target, the defensive midfielder steps up and unleashes a rocket of a strike, but it ends up deflecting off the top of the visitors' wall and over the crossbar for a corner.
20'
It's all become rather sloppy over the past few minutes, with neither side looking particularly smart with the ball at their feet. Both teams are misplacing passes and committing clumsy challenges, which has resulted in the pace of the game slowing down somewhat.
18'
And now Marconi tries his luck from 25 yards out, but like Balotelli's effort at the other end of the pitch the Alessandria striker fails to force Abbiati into making a save and instead sees his long-range strike miss its intended target by several yards.
17'
Milan quickly regain possession with Balotelli, who has drifted out to the left flank, doing well to pick up the ball in a dangerous position. The striker then cuts inside quickly before trying to test Vannucchi from 25 yards out, but his thumping low shot ends up bouncing a few yards wide of the near post.
16'
Once again, poor control by Balotelli lets him down in front of goal. A poor attempted clearance from Sirri can only find De Sciglio on the edge of the Alessandria penalty area, and the right-back immediately tees up the aforementioned striker. With a pocket of space around him, he is in a great position to shoot, but he completely misses the ball and, as a result, it ends up rolling into the feet of Morero.
14'
It's been a solid start to the game by Alessandria, who are holding their own against their top-tier opponents. Unsurprisingly, Milan have enjoyed the vast majority of the possession thus far but, bar an early chance for Balotelli, they have failed to create too many opportunities for themselves due to strong defending by the third-tier side.
12'
A half-hearted Alessandria attacking move breaks down near the halfway line, allowing Milan to break away on a quick counter-attack. De Sciglio charges down the right wing before trying to pick out a teammate with a curling cross, but it's poorly hit by the right-back and ends up bouncing straight into the hands of Vannucchi in the middle of the goal.
10'
Even at this early stage, Fischnaller has looked bright whenever charging down the left wing. However, De Sciglio is sticking close to him, and as a result the youngster has already found himself on the receiving end of several hefty challenges from the right-back, who has obviously been ordered to keep a close eye on the former Juventus youth player.
8'
Balotelli and Mauri link up well on the edge of the Alessandria penalty area before the latter fires a cross off Sosa and out for a corner. The resulting set-piece is curled into the heart of the box, where it easily finds Romagnoli, but the centre-back's looping header is sent straight into the hands of Vannucchi, who is easily able to keep hold of the defender's effort.
6'
Alessandria move the ball around well inside the Milan half of the pitch before Morero tries to pick out Fischnaller with a lofted pass down the left flank, but it's slightly overhit and misses the winger before bouncing harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
4'
Early chance for Balotelli! De Sciglio, who has already found pockets of space down the right flank, charges down the wing before swinging a dangerous cross towards the near post. It almost finds the striker, who had made a good run towards the Alessandria goal, but he completely mistimes his attempted shot and ends up completely missing the ball.
3'
After a patient start to the game by Milan, Boateng tries to tee up Adriano with a deft through-ball over to the left-hand side of the penalty area, but it's well cut out by Nicco, who is then able to thump a clearance up to the halfway line.
1'
And we're off!
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Coppa Italia semi-final first-leg clash between Alessandria and Milan at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino.
Tonight’s game marks an historic occasion for both Alessandria and the Coppa Italia as a whole, as not since 1984 has a third-tier side reached this far in the competition. It is also the first time since 1936 that the Grigi have featured in the last four, a feat that was made possible thanks to a hard-fought performance, and subsequent 2-1 win, against Spezia in the last round. A goal down with just seven minutes left to play, in-form striker Riccardo Bocalon scored twice in the final moments to continue his side’s excellent cup run. The Lega Pro team are enjoying themselves domestically as well, as they currently sit in third place in the table, just three points behind league leaders Cittadella with just one defeat from their last 10 games. As a result, they could end up making it a very tricky evening for their top-tier opposition.
In stark contrast to their opponents, Milan are no strangers to this stage of the Coppa Italia. This will be their 27th appearance in the last four of the competition, and five of those have resulted in them lifting the trophy. That hasn’t happened since 2003, however, but this year’s semi-final encounter, one that they will no doubt feel they should comfortably win, will have given them confidence about their chances of doing so again this season. Crotone pushed the Rossoneri hard in the fourth round, resulting in the game going to extra-time, but bar that it’s been a relatively straight-forward campaign for Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side, who have failed to impress domestically and will be looking to make up for those shortcomings with a strong cup run and their first piece of silverware since 2011.
Milan substitutes: Donnarumma, Montolivo, Niang, Abate, Nocerino, Simic, Kucka, De Jong, Bertolacci, Calabria, Livieri, Bacca.
Milan XI (4-4-2): Abbiati; De Sciglio, Zapata, Romagnoli, Antonelli; Honda, Poli, Mauri, Boateng; Adriano, Balotelli.
Angelo Gregucci has decided to make four changes to the Alessandria side that started their league win against Cuneo on Saturday, with Alex Sirri, Santiago Morero, Massimo Loviso and Michele Marconi coming into the starting line-up to replace Vedran Celjak, Leonardo Terigi, Adriano Mezavilla and Riccardo Bocalon.
Meanwhile, Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic has made eight alterations to the side that were held to a 2-2 draw against Empoli on the weekend, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ignazio Abate, Alex, Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Bertolacci, Giacomo Bonaventura, M’Baye Niang and Carlos Bacca all making way for Christian Abbiati, Mattia De Sciglio, Cristian Zapata, Andrea Poli, Jose Mauri, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Luiz Adriano and Mario Balotelli, the latter of whom is scheduled to make his first start since the end of September.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: ALESSANDRIA 0-1 MILAN
Alessandria will be thoroughly disappointed at having to head into the half-time break a goal down, as they did wonderfully well to keep a rather lacklustre Milan side at bay for the vast majority of the opening 45 minutes. Despite offering little going forward, the third-tier side have defended admirably thus far, but Antonelli's pace and trickery proved to be too much for Morero, who clumsily fouled the full-back inside the penalty area as a result. However, with just one goal separating the two sides, it's still all to play for in the second half, and the hosts will no doubt up the tempo after the break as they aim to find a way back into the game.
The two teams are making their way back out onto the pitch ahead of the start of the second half.
FULL-TIME: ALESSANDRIA 0-1 MILAN
The referee blows his whistle for the final time and brings an end to a frustrating game for Alessandria. The hosts increased the tempo of their attacks in the second half and started to look far more dangerous as a result, but Milan defended diligently and, as a result, head into the second leg with a narrow but well-deserved one-goal advantage. They will no doubt be pleased with that result, despite the fact that it was far from a stellar performance from the Serie A side.
Commentary
More…