Despite their underwhelming domestic seasons, both teams were looking for back-to-back wins and made bright starts. A Tijjani Reijnders free-kick after five minutes was spilt by Mile Slivar, but the goalkeeper managed to gather at the second attempt.
At the other end, Mike Maignan wasn’t stretched by efforts from Paulo Dybala and Mats Hummels, before Dybala and Alexis Saelemaekers combined to set up Artem Dovbyk, whose low effort struck the post and bounced clear.
The Giallrossi were left ruing that miss in the 16th minute, when Youssouf Fofana carried the ball over the halfway line on the counter-attack, combined with Álvaro Morata and then teed up Reijnders for a first-time finish which put Milan in front.
However, their advantage only lasted until the half’s midway point, when Dovbyk beautifully flicked Niccolò Pisilli’s pass to Dybala, who volleyed the ball sweetly past Maignan to level the scores in style and give Roma a first away league goal in the first 25 minutes since October 2023.
That was how it stayed until the break, though there was time for Milan manager Paulo Fonseca to be sent off for two bookable offences.
They may have been managerless for the second half, but the Rossoneri were on the front foot as they searched for an 80th win over Roma. Fofana should have done better from close range, while Samuel Chukwueze and Ismaël Bennacer both forced strong saves from Slivar before the hour mark.
Claudio Ranieri’s side managed to soak up the pressure and grow into the game as the half wore on, and when Pisilli and Emerson Royal both missed the target at either end, the tie was finely balanced entering the final 10 minutes.
The home side had Maignan to thank for preserving their point late on when a corner was met at the edge of the box by Stephan El Shaarawy, and only a firm hand from the French goalkeeper prevented it from finding the top corner.
The draw means Milan stayed unbeaten at home in the final two months of 2024 and unbeaten at home to Roma since 2017, though still out of the European places.
Meanwhile, Roma are now three without defeat despite going 12 matches without an away league win and sit just inside the top half of the table.