With the pressure on AC Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic to oversee a reaction to Wednesday's defeat to Bologna, the Rossoneri travelled to the Italian capital on Saturday night in search of a positive result.
After overcoming a slow start, they secured a 1-1 draw with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, with neither coach particularly benefiting from the outcome.
While poor finishing ultimately cost Milan again, it was a mixed bag in terms of individual performances with certain players outperforming their teammates on a difficult night for the visitors in Rome.
Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Gianluigi Donnarumma, 7 -- The youngster has been well protected in general since breaking into the first team, but he made decisive saves Saturday to keep Milan in the game. There was little he could have done for the goal, but did brilliantly to deny Umar Sadiq and Antonio Rudiger in the first half.
DF Ignazio Abate, 7 -- A huge disappointment to see the Italian international go off injured late in the game. He did well to cope with Roma's threat down his flank while also getting forward and playing a key role in Milan's attack. It is hoped that his injury isn't serious.
DF Cristian Zapata, 5 -- A disappointing return for the Colombian centre-half, as he failed to cope with Roma's threat from open play and set pieces. Sadiq's pace was an issue in particular, and ultimately he never looked comfortable as he will likely return to the bench next week.
DF Alessio Romagnoli, 5 -- Having missed out against Bologna due to suspension, it was a nervy return for the youngster who struggled alongside Zapata. While he gradually showed signs of settling down, it wasn't one of his better Milan performances this season.
DF Mattia De Sciglio, 6 -- The left-back was sound defensively as he coped with the threat of Alessandro Florenzi and Iago Falque with minimal fuss. However, he failed to convince going forward and was wasteful with his distribution.
MF Keisuke Honda, 6 -- Great assist for the goal, as the Japanese star overcame a slow start to the game to become a more influential figure after the half-time interval. He will need to do more to hold on to his place in the line-up though, as his quality in the final third needs a more consistent end product.
MF Juraj Kucka, 7 -- Having been preferred to captain Riccardo Montolivo, the combative midfielder didn't disappoint as he repaid the faith of his coach with the crucial equaliser in the second half. Great performance all around, with his goal the icing on the cake although he will rue the glorious opportunity he missed which could have secured all three points.
MF Andrea Bertolacci, 6 -- Similarly to Milan as a whole, Bertolacci endured a difficult opening 45 minutes. However, the Rossoneri started to take control of proceedings partly thanks to the Italian ace growing into the game and stepping up his influence in midfield.
MF Giacomo Bonaventura, 6 -- Began to tire as the game went on and was duly replaced in the closing stages. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old remained one of the more inventive players on the pitch and caused Alessandro Florenzi plenty of problems.
FW Luiz Adriano, 6 -- The Brazilian deserves credit for his effort and his sacrifice for the team as he continued to drop deep and help the midfield while trying to link up play. While that forces him away from goal and in turn makes him less of a threat up front, he will need to find the right balance moving forward.
FW Carlos Bacca, 6 -- Epitomised Milan to an extent, as after a sloppy first half, he burst into life after the break and perhaps should have got his name on the score sheet. As well as being wasteful at times, he was unlucky not to find the back of the net with an effort that crashed against the crossbar.
Substitutes
MF Kevin-Prince Boateng, 7 -- An impressive return for the former Schalke star, as he was given over half-an-hour by Mihajlovic to shine. Responded with an all-action display and gave Milan more purpose and direction in their attack and will surely have earned a spot in the starting line-up next weekend.
DF Luca Antonelli, N/A -- Replaced the injured Abate for the final 10 minutes and ensured Milan didn't slip up at the back.
FW M'Baye Niang, N/A -- Not enough time on the pitch to make an impact.