MILAN, Italy, Dec 14 (Reuters) - AC Milan had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Sassuolo at San Siro on Sunday after Armand Lauriente's late strike for the visitors ensured the Serie A title race remains finely poised.
Milan, who are top with 32 points from 15 matches, have a one-point lead over defending champions Napoli, who visit 12th-placed Udinese later on Sunday. Sassuolo sit ninth on 21 points.
The visitors stunned Milan in the 13th minute when Andrea Pinamonti's clever layoff set up midfielder Ismael Kone, who expertly chipped goalkeeper Mike Maignan to open the scoring.
Milan responded with sustained pressure as Adrien Rabiot came close to scoring, after winning the ball from Alieu Fadera near the edge of the Sassuolo box, only to be denied by goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
The hosts finally equalised just before halftime through a well-crafted move. Luka Modric slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the right and the Englishman's cross reached 19-year-old left back Davide Bartesaghi, who rifled the ball into the bottom corner to open his account for Milan.
Bartesaghi completed his double in the 47th minute, latching onto a pass from Christopher Nkunku and slotting the ball between Muric and the near post.
But Allegri's side's hopes of securing all three points were dashed in the 77th when Lauriente broke free and slipped past Fikayo Tomori before firing into the far corner to salvage a point for Sassuolo.
Milan managed five shots on target to Sassuolo's three but were left frustrated after two disallowed goals.
Christian Pulisic, the league's joint-top scorer with seven goals this season, converted from a corner only for the goal to be chalked off due to a foul by Loftus-Cheek in the buildup.
Later, Rabiot thought he had scored from a Loftus-Cheek header, but the French midfielder was flagged offside.
"Our goal is to finish in the top four," Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri told DAZN. "We need to work hard, and obviously we need to try to concede fewer goals.
"We played well today, attacking a well-organised defence. Sassuolo are a dangerous side with excellent individual players up front.
"We could have been more alert for the first goal and the second. In the end, we even risked losing it, so let's take this point and think about the Super Cup."
Milan visit Napoli in the Italian Super Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
