Milan Stumbles Again, Held to 1-1 Draw by Cagliari

AC Milan's struggles continued on Saturday as they were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home by relegation-battlers Cagliari. The result leaves Milan eight points off the top of Serie A and facing an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League.

New coach Sergio Conceicao, who took over from Stefano Pioli earlier this month, was hoping to kick off his tenure with a win, but his side failed to capitalize on their dominance, allowing Cagliari to snatch a point.

Alvaro Morata opened the scoring for Milan in the 51st minute, but their lead was short-lived as Cagliari defender Nadir Zortea equalized just four minutes later with a well-taken counter-attacking goal.

Milan had several chances to restore their lead, but they were wasteful in front of goal, much to the frustration of Conceicao.

"We created many opportunities, but we didn't score enough," Conceicao said after the match. "We need to be more clinical in front of goal."

The draw leaves Milan in eighth place in the Serie A table, eight points behind league leaders Napoli. They face a tough challenge to close the gap and secure a place in next season's Champions League.