AC Milan 3 Olympiacos 1: Higuain, Cutrone mount Rossoneri rescue act
Patrick Cutrone and Gonzalo Higuain gave AC Milan life in the second half as the Serie A side beat Olympiacos to stay top in Group F.
Gonzalo Higuain returned from injury to help a Patrick Cutrone-inspired AC Milan come from behind in a 3-1 win over Olympiacos in the Europa League.
Argentina striker Higuain, sidelined with a leg problem for the past two matches, scored in between Cutrone's crucial brace amid a game-changing burst of three goals in nine second-half minutes.
Milan had slipped back into old habits prior to their 70th-minute equaliser, struggling to convert possession into chances as their six-match unbeaten run in all competitions appeared destined to end.
But, having fallen behind to Miguel Angel Guerrero's first-half header, the Serie A side rallied upon Cutrone's introduction and overcame a lacklustre opening hour to stay top of Group F on six points.
Cutrone in 2017Cutrone in 2018Loves the October 4, 2018
Milan would have been ahead early had an offside Samu Castillejo not absent-mindedly touched Giacomo Bonaventura's goal-bound header into the net.
Instead, they fell behind from Olympiacos' first real attack in the 14th minute as Leonardo Koutris crossed for Guerrero to expertly nod into the bottom-right corner.
Jose Sa protected the advantage with a low save from Higuain and the Portuguese goalkeeper should have been worked a second time before the break, but Castillejo misjudged Suso's inviting delivery.
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The Rossoneri steadily stepped up the pressure after the interval and parity came when Cutrone met Ricardo Rodriguez's cross with a looping header.
Suddenly buoyed, a second came six minutes later through Higuain's cool-headed finish in a crowded box and the startling comeback was quickly capped off by Cutrone, the match-winner tapping home from fellow substitute Hakan Calhanoglu's fizzing low ball across the face.