PARMA, Italy (Reuters) -AC Milan squandered a two-goal lead as struggling Parma mounted a spirited comeback to salvage a 2-2 draw on Saturday, with Enrico Delprato's second-half strike denying the visitors top spot in Serie A.
Milan sit second level on 22 points with defending champions Napoli, who lead and visit Bologna on Sunday when Inter Milan and AS Roma, both on 21 points, are also in action against Lazio and Udinese respectively in a thrilling race for top spot.
Parma are 17th with eight points, two points above the relegation zone.
Milan took the lead after 12 minutes when Alexis Saelemaekers drilled a low shot into the far corner, with Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki getting his fingertips to the ball but reacting too late to keep it out.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 25th minute after Saelemaekers, who had been causing constant problems down the flank, was brought down in the box by Abdoulaye Ndiaye after drifting towards the byline.
Following a brief VAR check, the penalty was confirmed, and Rafael Leao made no mistake from the spot, firing a precise shot into the right corner.
Parma pulled one back just before halftime when Adrian Bernabe curled a superb strike into the top corner and drew level shortly after the hour as Delprato met Sascha Britschgi's cross from the right with a close-range header at the near post.
Both teams had chances to snatch victory late on, with goalkeeper Mike Maignan keeping Milan on level terms with a sharp save to keep out Delprato’s near-post header before Saelemaekers rounded Suzuki but fired wide of an open goal.
Luka Modric tried his luck from the edge of the box in stoppage time with a curling left-foot effort that Suzuki spilled before gathering at the second attempt.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
