AC Milan will have to wait a bit longer to secure their place in the Champions League knock-out rounds following a 1-1 draw with BATE Borisov here on Tuesday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave the Italians a first half lead but Renan Bressan equalised from the spot in the second period.
Milan will qualify if Barcelona beat Viktoria Plzen later on Tuesday but that would also give the Spanish holders a two-point advantage over the rossoneri ahead of their meeting at the San Siro in three weeks.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri had vowed to win the game for Antonio Cassano, suffering from a mystery illness back in a Milanese hospital, but despite dominating the first half, they failed to fully exploit their superiority.
Maksim Bordachev arrived just in time to block Alberto Aquilani as the midfielder was about to shoot from seven yards following a scramble in the BATE box.
Ibrahimovic rifled in a shot that was too hot for Aleksandr Gutor to handle and the big Swede then hit a vicious free-kick that the goalkeeper parried at his near post.
The Italians went in front on 22 minutes after some horrible defending from Borisov.
Marko Simic got caught napping on the ball and Ibrahimovic slid in to tackle him and allow Robinho to scamper down the right and cross for his strike partner to take a touch in acres of space and then fire home inside the far post.
Milan celebrated by lifting Kevin-Prince Boateng's shirt to reveal Cassano's jersey with his name and number 99.
Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati tipped a Maksim Skavysh header over the bar before Gutor did likewise from a curling Robinho effort.
Artyom Radkov got on the end of a cross from the right but flicked his near post effort high.
Six minutes before the break Robinho should have given the visitors a two-goal advantage but wasted a glorious chance.
He played a one-two with Boateng who sent him scampering clear behind the defence but after rounding Gutor the Brazilian somehow hit the outside of the post with his shot.
Dzmitry Baga had a rare shot for Borisov at the start of the second period but Abbiati was down well to save.
Robinho was played in again by Antonio Nocerino on the left but his right foot curler was too close to Gutor.
Milan were made to pay when Ignazio Abate played Artem Kontsevoy rather than the ball and gave away a penalty, which Bressan dispatched low to Abbiati's right on 55 minutes.
BATE had their tails up and Baga's fierce shot was saved by Abbiati at his near post.
Milan came bounding back and Ibrahimovic shot high before Gutor saved another effort from the Swede.
Simic may have been at fault earlier but he saved Borisov 13 minutes from time after Boateng had been released by substitute Daniele Bonera.
Gutor saved the Ghanaian's first effort and then Simic got back to hack his second off the line.
Skavysh blew a three-on-two chance when he opted to shoot, high, instead of tee up Bressan.
And deep into injury time he shot straight at Abbiati with the last chance of the match.
Source: AFP
