However, AC Milan's attacks failed to convert into goals, and it was the Bari team that broke the home team's defense with a set piece. In the 39th minute, Bari successfully replicated the任意球配合 of the Argentine team in the 1998 World Cup. Almirón passed the ball straight into the right side of the penalty area from a central free kick, accurately finding Rudolph who had suddenly pulled to the right from in front of the small box. Rudolph turned around and shot low into the far corner unmarked, making it 1-0 for the visiting team. AC Milan, suffering from both a score deficit and playing with one man down, finally equalized in the 82nd minute. Cassano received a cross from Antonini on the left wing and volleyed a push shot from 8 meters out in front of the goal, making it 1-1. This scoreline held until the final whistle. AC Milan, held to a draw by the "bottom-dweller," narrowed the gap with Inter Milan to 5 points.
Barcelona hit the crossbar twice and were forced to settle for a draw. The struggling AC Milan clearly also drew "attention" from the referee. In the 60th minute of the second half, Nesta made a through pass in the center, and Ibrahimović controlled the ball with his chest before turning and shooting it in, but the referee Briegel ruled that he had used his arm, showing him a yellow card and declaring the goal invalid. In the 73rd minute, referee Briegel deemed that Ibrahimović had retaliated against Marco Rossi during a defensive action, directly showing him a red card.
One is the Serie A leader, having accumulated 62 points after 28 league matches, AC Milan, who just returned from the Champions League and can now focus solely on the league; the other is the last-place team, having scored only 16 points after 28 league matches, winning merely two games, with little hope of staying up—Bari. Such a clash seemed to hold no suspense at all. But in reality, the big club struggled to draw the "bottom-dweller" at home.
AC Milan had just been eliminated in the Champions League, regrettably knocked out by Tottenham Hotspur, leaving the team with only two fronts to fight for, where the league became even more crucial. Facing the "bottom-dweller," Allegri even rejected Ibrahimović's request for rest, aiming for a big victory to sweep away the gloom of their Champions League exit. After the opening whistle, AC Milan took control of the game, especially Robinho, who frequently threatened the opponent's goal. After 20 minutes of active attack, AC Milan seemed to intentionally slow down the pace of the game but still maintained an advantage.
In the 30th minute, Barcelona, playing as visitors, took the lead first when Bojan split the ball forward, Iniesta flicked it into the box, and Alves successfully ran behind the defenders into the penalty area. Before the opposing goalkeeper could come out, he sent a cross back, and Bojan followed up to "escort" the ball into the net, making it 1-0.
The fortunes of La Liga leaders Barcelona were worse. In the early hours of this morning, local time on Sunday, they challenged Sevilla, currently mid-table, and ended up drawing 1-1 despite hitting the crossbar twice in both halves, narrowing the gap with Real Madrid to 5 points.
After taking the lead, Barcelona seemed to start a contest with the opponent's crossbar. In the 42nd minute, Xavi made a through pass in front of the penalty area, and Messi understood immediately, rushing high-speed into the box to head the ball towards the goal, which hit the crossbar and bounced out. Just after Barcelona missed this scoring opportunity, in the 49th minute, Sevilla equalized. Negredo held the ball inside the penalty area, Alves' tackle missed the ball, and Valdés' attempt to clear also missed the ball. Navas received Negredo's cross and headed the ball into the empty net, making it 1-1. However, Barcelona's efforts afterward to turn the 1 point into 3 points proved fruitless. Among these, Sevilla's crossbar helped the home team quite a bit. In the 86th minute, Iniesta suddenly unleashed a shot from outside the box, which again hit the crossbar and bounced out. Ultimately, the two teams drew. In the previous day's match, Real Madrid completely defeated Elche, thus narrowing the gap between the two teams to 5 points.