Massimiliano Allegri’s players were looking to dust themselves down after seeing their Scudetto hopes dissipate in recent weeks, as focus turned to cementing a top-four berth and UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification.
The hosts were doing most of the probing without creating too much in the opening exchanges, as Rafael Leao’s angled long-range strike from distance flew over the bar.
Udinese, though, were looking dangerous on the counter-attack, and drew first blood with a 27th-minute opener to stun the Rossoneri.
Nicolo Zaniolo made a driving run forward and picked out Arthur Atta, whose strike took a hefty deflection off Davide Bartesaghi before beating Mike Maignan at the far post.
Christian Pulisic looked to take matters into his own hands in pursuit of an equaliser, surging his way into a central position on the edge of the box and unleashing a right-footed strike which sailed inches past the post.
However, it was the Bianconeri who sensationally doubled their advantage when Jurgen Ekkelenkamp outjumped Zachary Athekame in the box and superbly headed home past Maigan from Zaniolo’s teasing cross to score his fifth goal of the season.
Allegri’s shell-shocked side needed a response after the break, and began the second half with renewed vigour. Udinese keeper Maduka Okoye was twice called into action to thwart Luka Modric, and then made an even better save to superbly push Alexis Saelemaekers’ ferocious strike onto the bar.
Further chances fell to half-time substitute Niclas Fullkrug and Strahinja Pavlovic, but neither could find the target with their respective headers.
Incredibly, Kosta Runjaic’s team instead struck next to add a third with devastating efficiency thanks to Atta’s clinical finish. With the first strike officially going down as an own goal, this one belonged to the Frenchman and left Milan staring down the barrel of a chastening defeat.
The inquest into this alarming loss begins, with Milan now losing four of their previous seven top-flight games after not tasting defeat in any of preceding 24 (W15, D9). Any title hopes are now gone, and continuing in the same vein could result in a last-minute scrap to hold onto their UCL place.
Meanwhile, this hugely impressive victory for Udinese moves them up to 10th and ends a run of four consecutive head-to-head defeats against the Rossoneri.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Arthur Atta (Udinese)
