Now Hernandez goes into the referee's notebook for a mistimed challenge on Strelec.
89'
D. Nikolaou gets yellow.
Nikolaou is booked for a late tackle on the dangerous Leao.
86'
Brahim Díaz has scored a goal for AC Milan! Assist by A. Saelemaekers.
Saelemaekers danced through on the right and cut the ball back for Diaz to strike Milan's second from inside the area.
MILAN BACK IN FRONT! The Rossoneri's substitutions have proved pivotal, as Kessie's replacement Diaz finds a second goal following superb approach play from Saelemaekers inside the Spezia area. The former Real Madrid man stayed composed and fired home from close range. Spezia 1-2 Milan!
84'
Leao has a right-footed shot from outside the box, which misses to the left of Zoet's goal. Milan can see time trickling through their fingers now!
82'
Brahim Díaz enters the game and replaces F. Kessié.
Pioli responds to the equaliser by throwing on playmaker Diaz for Kessie, who has been largely out-of-sorts today.
80'
D. Verde has scored a goal for Spezia! Assist by S. Bastoni.
WE ARE LEVEL! The Picco is hopping, as substitute Verde jinks inside on the right and fires off a speculative shot, which then loops away from Maignan after a heavy deflection off the bemused Tonali. Against the odds, it is now 1-1 with 10 minutes to play!
Bastoni played Verde through on the right, before the diminutive forward struck home Spezia's equalising goal.
79'
D. Strelec enters the game and replaces E. Gyasi.
As Motta becomes increasingly desperate for a reaction, Gyasi comes off for Strelec.
76'
Further changes are afoot, as the bare-chested Milan ultras lead the unending chorus in the Ligurian sun; confident of another away victory.
74'
With little hope of scoring, Kessie decides to poke a shot at goal from a tight spot and is well wide with his attempt. It seems Milan are mostly concerned with running down the clock ahead of a big week of action.
Minute
Description
72'
D. Calabria enters the game and replaces P. Kalulu.
Having provided the all-important assist for Milan's opening goal, Kalulu comes off to be replaced by the returning Calabria at right-back.
69'
Gyasi earns a corner when his cross from the right is deflected and Maignan can't gather it in time. However, the French goalkeeper easily claims the resulting cross high above his defenders' heads and quickly redistributes it.
67'
Following the three changes made by Spezia, the game's flow has been disrupted, but Milan will hardly mind.
65'
D. Verde enters the game and replaces J. Sala.
R. Manaj enters the game and replaces J. Antiste.
Motta takes off Sala and brings on the attacking threat of Verde instead.
Antiste has been lively, but is now replaced by Manaj up front for the hosts.
64'
Salvador Ferrer enters the game and replaces G. Maggiore.
Having been involved in much of their best play, Maggiore is replaced by Ferrer in the Spezia midfield.
63'
Thiago Motta is readying some substitutes, as he prepares to shake things up in pursuit of a point.
62'
Now Leao has a left-footed shot from the left side of the box saved in the bottom corner by the alert Zoet, following a pass from Saelemaekers. Milan are edging closer to a decisive second strike here!
60'
Leao claims a penalty, as he hits the deck under a bumper-to-bumper challenge with Amian, but the referee is entirely disinterested in his claims. The pacy Portuguese forward has already made a big impact upon this game.
59'
I. Bennacer enters the game and replaces D. Maldini.
Bennacer comes on for young Maldini, who will never forget his full Serie A debut.
58'
D. Maldini gets yellow.
Goalscorer Maldini is booked for an obvious shirt-pull on Bourabia, who tries to get evade his attentions near the centre-circle.
54'
Again, the lively Antiste - a scorer against Juve in midweek - is involved, as his shot on the turn is palmed out low down by Maignan. The offside flag is raised once more though, so no corner is given.
52'
A quick combination between Maggiore and Antiste on the edge of the Milan area sees a clipped ball across the box just missed by Gyasi, who arrives at the back post a fraction too late. The referee then rules he was marginally offside anyway.
50'
A clearly unfair challenge from behind brings down Bastoni, with Tonali avoiding a booking but conceding a free-kick.
48'
D. Maldini has scored a goal for AC Milan! Assist by P. Kalulu.
Having impressed today and in midweek, Kalulu gets forward from right-back once again and whips in a cross for Maldini to head home.
MALDINI MAGIC! Dad Paolo rises to his feat, beaming with pride, as Maldini junior thumps a close-range header from Kalulu's cross past Zoet to give Milan the lead! Just after the break, it's Spezia 0-1 Milan!
46'
P. Pellegri enters the game and replaces O. Giroud.
Rafael Leão enters the game and replaces A. Rebić.
The teams have re-emerged and we are back under way in Liguria!
Rebic is also removed by Pioli, with the in-form Leao on in his place. Surprisingly, Maldini remains.
After his comeback from injury, Giroud is unable to last the pace and will be replaced by Pellegri up front for the second half.
45'
HALF-TIME: SPEZIA 0-0 MILAN
43'
Another Hernandez surge is ultimately thwarted by Spezia, who charge up the other end and put Milan in real trouble at the back. Only the inability of Gyasi and Nzola to get their feet sorted out when well placed inside the visitors' area allows Tomori to get back and get the ball away to safety.
42'
Romagnoli has to intervene just five yards out, as he clears a dangerous low ball into the area with a calm block.
40'
Giroud can't latch on to a speculative ball through the centre by Kessie, as Zoet confidently claims above the French forward's head, on the edge of his box.
36'
Amian leaps well to deny Rebic a clean header at goal, causing the Croatian to aim his attempt wide of the mark.
33'
In fact, after some deliberation, the referee opts to award a corner to Milan. The set-piece is cleared, but the Rossoneri retain possession and are now pressing heavily around the hosts' penalty area, seeking to steal a half-time advantage.
31'
A typically rampaging Hernandez run is ended on the edge of the area, with the French full-back left writhing around on the deck as a result. Surely he'll be up and ready to take the resulting free-kick though?
29'
Maggiore's header from the centre of the box goes close to threatening Maignan's goal but misses to the right, following a cross from Antiste.
25'
J. Sala gets yellow.
The referee decides that Sala's foul on Kalulu is deserving of the game's first yellow card.
24'
A desperate lunge by Sala trips Kalulu, who is flying towards the area at full tilt, earning Milan a free-kick in dangerous territory.
20'
Nzola works some space again, this time firing off a firm shot which Maignan has to work hard to repel, but the offside flag has gone up in any case. Spezia are certainly posing a danger to their more illustrious visitors on the counter today.
16'
Debutant Maldini chops down Amian, conceding a free-kick, but Milan eventually recover the ball.
14'
Rebic is caught narrowly offside from a lofted Hernandez pass, ending a promising Milan move down the left flank.
9'
Just outside the box, Tonali runs onto a loose ball, but scuffs his effort well wide of Zoet's left-hand post. Milan are now easing into control of the match.
7'
An over-eager challenge from Nzola near the centre-circle brings down Kessie, but Milan fail to make good use of the resulting free-kick and end up recycling the ball around the halfway line.
5'
Tomori hits the turf and is limping heavily upon his return to two feet, having blocked Maggiore's right-wing cross on the stretch.
3'
Spezia pose their first threat, as Maignan dives at the feet of Bastoni to thwart the full-back on the left side of the Milan area.
2'
Saelemaekers goes down under a crunching challenge from Sala, which gifts Milan a free-kick 30 yards out on the right.
1'
We are under way at Stadio Alberto Picco!
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Serie A clash between Spezia and Milan at Stadio Alberto Picco!
Following a fine start to the season, third-placed Milan return to the Picco for the first time since Spezia's historic win against them last February. On that occasion, two second-half goals for the top-flight debutants started the Rossoneri's slide out of Scudetto contention.
A Wednesday evening win over Venezia saw Milan equal the 13 points they posted after five games last season, and they have only matched or bettered that tally twice since the turn of the century. The victory was ultimately sealed by full-back Theo Hernandez, who sprang from the bench to weigh in with a goal and an assist.
Having earned their first win of the new campaign last weekend, struggling Spezia were leading 2-1 against Juventus, well into the second half of their midweek encounter. However, the Aquilotti were hauled back and then overtaken in the final 25 minutes, leaving them empty-handed.
SUBS: Ivan Provedel, Petar Zovko, Rey Manaj, Daniele Verde, Salvador Ferrer, Nicolo Bertola, Eddie Salcedo, Suf Podgoreanu, David Strelec, Jakub Kiwior.
MILAN (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori, Alessio Romagnoli, Theo Hernandez; Franck Kessie, Sandro Tonali; Alexis Saelemaekers, Daniel Maldini, Ante Rebic; Olivier Giroud.
SUBS: Ciprian Tatarusanu, Andreas Jungdal, Ismael Bennacer, Rafael Leao, Pietro Pellegri, Davide Calabria, Matteo Gabbia, Brahim Diaz, Samu Castillejo, Andrea Conti, Fode Ballo-Toure.
The teams are out on the pitch in picturesque La Spezia, with kick-off just minutes away!
With a little more care in and around the opposition area, Spezia could be in contention for a second successive win over their Milanese counterparts, who are surely set to make changes soon after the interval.
That's all from Stadio Alberto Picco today, so thank you for joining us and goodbye!
Spezia have now lost four of their last six home fixtures in Serie A and are owners of one of the league's worst defensive records this term, so will hope to recover with relatively easier games against Verona and Salernitana in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Milan return to Champions League action next time out, when they host Spanish champions Atletico Madrid at San Siro.
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