MILAN, Jan 8 (Reuters) - A late Rafael Leao goal earned AC Milan a 1-1 draw with Genoa at the San Siro on Thursday where the hosts extended their unbeaten run in Serie A thanks to a penalty miss from the visitors on the stroke of fulltime.
Milan had gone 16 matches without defeat since their only league loss on the opening day of the season, but that impressive run looked like coming to an end with Milan loanee Lorenzo Colombo scoring against his parent club in the 28th minute
Leao headed in from a corner in stoppage time to equalise but there was more late drama when Genoa were awarded a penalty at the death. However, Nicolae Stanciu sent his spot kick over the bar.
The draw suited neither side with Milan losing ground at the top. Milan are second on 39 points, three behind leaders Inter Milan who beat Parma 2-0 on Wednesday, while Genoa remain 17th on 16 points, three points above the relegation zone.
Matteo Gabbia went close for Milan early on when his header from a corner almost crept under the crossbar but Genoa keeper Nicola Leali made a fingertip save. That was the only attacking threat until the visitors took the lead.
Ruslan Malinovskyi played a perfectly weighted ball into the box where Colombo got ahead of Gabbia to poke home from the edge of the six-yard area.
"For me it's impossible to celebrate against Milan, against the team I grew up in," Colombo told DAZN.
"It's too important a part of my life."
Leali made a reflex save from Leao from close range and the rebound fell kindly for Youssouf Fofana only for the Milan midfielder to lose his footing when set to head goalwards and Genoa took their lead into the break.
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Milan thought they had levelled from a corner before the hour mark but the goal was chalked off after a VAR check for a Christian Pulisic handball, when the ball was already on its way in from Gabbia's header.
Leali pulled off a fine save from a Pulisic volley late on, before Leao found the stoppage-time equaliser and when Davide Bartesaghi fouled Mikael Ellertsson deep in added time, Genoa looked set to pull off a shock win.
"What we need to improve is having patience against a team in real difficulty, so we don't expose ourselves to a counterattack like the one where we risked losing the match," Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri told DAZN.
Substitute Stanciu stepped up but ballooned his effort well over Mike Maignan's goal. Milan travel to take on struggling Fiorentina on Sunday, while Inter host third-placed Napoli who also lost touch at the top in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Hellas Verona.
(Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Christian Radnedge)
