Totti Return not Enough as Milan Hold Roma

Francesco Totti's return from injury failed to spark Roma as the Serie A title hopefuls' winless run continued Saturday after being held 1-1 at home by AC Milan.

Totti returned following a near four-month injury layoff when he replaced Nigerian starlet Umar Sadiq 25 minutes into the second half.

But after Juraj Kucka levelled Antonio Ruduiger's superb fourth-minute opener five minutes after the restart, 38-year-old club legend Totti failed to spark the Giallorossi, who now have only one win from their last seven league outings and were whistled off the park at a sparsely-attended Stadio Olimpico.

Roma remain in fifth place at five points behind leaders Inter Milan ahead of their home game against Sassuolo on Sunday, but it is the second time this week, following a 3-3 draw at Chievo, that Roma have dropped two points.

French coach Rudi Garcia was surprisingly candid about his side's deficiencies after a display that has only intensified the spotlight on his future at the club.

"Tonight we were a little bit like Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde," Garcia told Sky Sport.

"The light went out for us in the second half, physically as well as mentally.... we started off positively, but I totally did not expect to see a second half like that."

Midfielder Radja Nainggolan was among several players struggling with fitness during the game, but the Belgian's call to be taken off late in the second half fell on deaf ears.

Garcia added: "It's not good to see that the players can't last the full 90 minutes."

With Edin Dzeko suspended, Umar Sadiq was handed his second consecutive start by Garcia and within a matter of seconds the Nigerian teenager had stung the gloves of Milan's 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Sadiq has found the net in each of his last two appearances for Roma, but the 18-year-old striker was beaten to the honor when Rudiger volleyed Miralem Pjanic’s free-kick past Donnarumma at the back post.

Sadiq did well to squirm away from two defenders and set up Miralem Pjanic, only for the Bosnian to scuff a shot wide, while Rudiger saw a diving header from a corner palmed on to the woodwork by Donnarumma.

The pressure is also on Sinisa Mihajlovic, and amid a frustrating second half AC Milan's Serbian coach was sent to the stands for violent conduct on the touchlines.

However Milan claimed a well deserved equalizer on 50 minutes when Kucka rose to head Keisuke Honda's floated cross from the right past Wojciech Szczesny.

Milan, who saw Kevin-Prince Boateng make his Serie A comeback after two years at Schalke, had the momentum but Mihajlovic's men were wasteful.

For Mihajlovic, the glass was half-full, although the Serbian questioned the Roma fans' farewell to the players at full time.

"It doesn't please anyone to hear fans whistling the players, you have to wonder why they're whistling, but it's up to us to transform the whistles into cheers," Mihajlovic told Sky Sport.

"Tonight it was important for us to put in a solid performance ... and the lads showed they deserve our confidence.

"I wanted to see a reaction from my players, and they gave it. When real men fall down, they get back up again."

Earlier, Manchester United target Felipe Anderson came off the bench to hit a late goal as Lazio awoke from their slumber to stun title-chasers Fiorentina 3-1.

Lazio moved up to ninth place, with Fiorentina still in second place, a point behind Inter, but now in danger of being overtaken by Napoli and Juventus.

It was Fiorentina's second home reverse of the campaign but coach Paulo Sousa refused to criticize his players.

"Once we started the second half, Keita's goal began to weigh on us," said the Portuguese.

"We tried to pull level but we were playing more with our hearts than our heads. But I can't say anything, the lads have had a wonderful first half of the season."

Napoli are away to Frosinone on Sunday when champions Juventus, in fourth at three points adrift, travel to Sampdoria.