Benevento 2 AC Milan 2: Goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli sensationally earns minnows’ first point of season with last-gasp header
Gennaro Gattuso's first match ends in most dramatic draw with Benevento players in tears at ending run of 14 defeats
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BENEVENTO produced one of the most incredible finales of recent memory to grab their first point of the season.
After 14 defeats in a row, it was down to goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli to head home a dramatic equaliser in the 95th minute of the contest.
Speaking after the match he revealed he only went up for the set-piece because he was told to, as he didn't believe he could make an impact.
He told Sky Sports Italia: "It's not that I didn't believe [I could score], it's that it's that the chances of scoring that a situation such as that is so minimal.
"I am so happy for everyone. The people are living a dream and probably thought it would have been better.
"To be honest, someone from the bench was shouting 'Go forward', so I told myself that, at 2-1, I had nothing to lose so I went up and jumped with my eyes shut.
"I just went on instinct and my jump was more a goalkeeper's than an attacker's."
The build-up had been dominated by the return of AC Milan legend Gennaro Gattuso, who had replaced Vincenzo Montella as manager.
But the match will live long in the memory for very different reasons.
Benevento had come into the match on the back of a European record of 14 consecutive defeats to open the campaign.
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And they looked intent to end that record against seven-time European champions Milan, creating some good, early chances.
However, they fell behind to a 38th-minute goal, which was the first impression of Gattuso's tactical influence bearing fruit.
Giacomo Bonaventura had been deployed primarily as a right-back under Montella, but was played further forward here.
And, after a melee of head tennis inside the Benevento box which saw Nikola Kalinic's effort cleared off the line, it was the 28-year-old's clever diving header which snuck inside the post.
But Benevento, who had taken the lead against Juventus earlier in the campaign, hit back five minutes after the break through George Puscas' goal.
However, their lead lasted just seven minutes as under-fire Kalinic, who had been booed by his own fans when he was taken off against Torino last week, headed Milan back in front.
It looked like Milan would just see out the game until Alessio Romagnoli was shown a second yellow for a professional foul 15 minutes from time.
And that gave Benevento belief. They pumped the ball into the Milan box without success before being granted a great opportunity after Ignazio Abate hauled down Marco D'Alessandro.
Danilo Cataldi stepped over the ball and whipped a cross right into the heart of the area — and astonishingly, it was goalkeeper Brignoli who got his head to it and guided it into the bottom header.
It was a truly brilliant header by the on-loan Juventus stopper and sparked jubilant scenes among his team-mates.
Benevento players were in floods of tears as they claimed an historic first-ever Serie A point.