Controversial Bacca penalty saves Milan
Carlos Bacca scored a controversial penalty as AC Milan claimed a precious 1-0 victory at Sassuolo and ramped up the pressure on the Serie A top six.
The Colombian striker found the net in the 22nd minute of an end-to-end encounter at Mapei Stadium, but his spot-kick appeared to hit his standing leg on its way into the net and Sassuolo's players claimed the goal should have been ruled out.
The home side could have been ahead before Bacca's intervention had Domenico Berardi not blazed a penalty kick at the other end well wide and Sassuolo failed to capitalise on numerous other opportunities afforded them by some patchy Milan defending throughout the game.
Bacca was a constant threat in attack and he gave a performance that defied those who have criticised him in recent weeks, while Gerard Deulofeu and Suso continued their industrious link-up play, which has been vital to Milan's resurgence under Vincenzo Montella.
The result kept Milan within three points of sixth-placed Lazio and ended the club's unwanted record of having never won at Mapei Stadium in Serie A.
