epa11698036 AC Milan's midfielder Tijjani Rejjnders scores a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Monza and AC Milan at U-Power Stadium on November 02, 2024 in Monza, Italy. EPA-EFE/ROBERTO BREGANI

Tijjani Reijnders returned from suspension to give Milan a much-needed win at Monza despite Rafael Leao missing again, but the hosts were left frustrated by a disallowed goal.

The Rossoneri were in crisis after losing two of their last three Serie A games against Fiorentina and Napoli, but coach Paulo Fonseca took a stand by benching Rafael Leao for the third consecutive game. Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders returned from suspension, while Christian Pulisic fought off flu symptoms but Matteo Gabbia, Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi remained injured. Monza had just one win all season, with Stefano Sensi, Samuele Birindelli, Andrea Petagna and Alessio Cragno missing, while Matteo Pessina was on the bench.

See how it developed in the live blog.

Monza had the ball in the net early on when Milan Djuric nodded in Pedro Pereira's cross for Dany Mota Carvalho's half-volley, but the referee disallowed this because of an earlier advance by Bondo on Theo Hernandez. It was a decision made by the official, but had he continued playing it is unlikely that VAR would have changed that verdict.

They should have scored after 15 minutes, except that Daniel Maldini shot past the goal relatively undisturbed after Pedro Pereira pulled back from the baseline.

At the other end, Noah Okafor's poor finishing wasted a chance when Pablo Mari released the ball wide.

Maldini tested Mike Maignan from the edge of the penalty area, but the goalkeeper had to parry with a sensational one-handed reaction to Pedro Pereira's header from a cross from Giorgos Kyriakopoulos. Maldini also hit the inside of the far post with an angled shot, but this would not have counted due to Djuric's offside position in the build-up to the game.

Instead, it was Milan who took the lead on a counterattack when Pulisic's cross from the right met a header from Alvaro Morata, which was knocked down by Armando Izzo, but only enough for Reijnders to nod in the rebound.

Another Pulisic cross after the restart grazed Morata's head and in the resulting corner, Reijnders tested Stefano Turati, while Rafael Leao was released in the final 27 minutes and immediately missed the target after combining with Reijnders.

Theo Hernandez also hit Turati with a wild solo effort at the short stick and then had to make the difference at the other end with a crucial defensive header to prevent Danilo D'Ambrosio from nodding in Kyriakopoulos' cross at the back post.

Samuele Vignato couldn't get his volley on target and Morata nodded a Theo Hernandez free-kick over the bar, but Rafael Leao made three tackles to burst into the box only to have Turati lob it straight at the target, then shoot after a break into the air Yunus Musah's template, which would have served Morata better.

Monza 0-1 Milan

Reijnders 43 (Wed)

30

44

78'

4

77

22

42

14

13

65'

38

87'

47

65'

11

78'

16

28

31

19

42

89'

14

29

7

11

89'

17

63'

21

81'

32

5

84

69

19

21

52

33

65'

80

65'

10

78'

24

78'

27

87'

90

23

57

22

73

96

10

63'

8

81'

2

89'

80

89'