Benevento claim historic first Serie A point in bizarre fashion as ‘reject’ goalkeeper nets in stoppage-time against AC Milan
Italian minnows had lost their first 14 top flight matches, but claim draw through Brignoli against Milan who were playing their first match under new coach Gattuso
AC Milan, who spent over €200 million (HK$1.85 billion) in the summer transfer market compared to Benevento’s total of €20 million, twice led but were pegged back after Alessio Romagnoli was sent off for a second booking in the 75th minute.
Benevento win their first point of the Serie A season, against Milan, with a 95th-minute flying header from their keeper pic.twitter.com/d0El8LgKbv— James Dart (@James_Dart) December 3, 2017
Brignoli, who has spent much of his career moving on loan deals between clubs in Italy, went up to join the attack after his side won a free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time and, as Danilo Cataldi whipped the ball in, he met it with a flying header into the bottom corner of the net to spark wild scenes at the modest Stadio Ciro Vigorito.
The 26-year-old became the first goalkeeper to score in Serie A since Massimo Taibi for Reggina in 2001.
“There was nothing to lose. I just closed my eyes and jumped. It was a goalkeeper’s goal, not a forward’s goal,” he said.
A bemused Gattuso said: “It hurts. A knife wound would have been less painful than that goal. I would never have expected to concede a goal in the last minute with the opposition goalkeeper scoring.”