AS Roma vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game

AC Milan ended one of their toughest years in recent memory with a 0-0 draw at AS Roma. Like the past year, it was not pretty. They finished the game with 10 men, and they were lucky to steal a point at all. (They can thank goalkeeper Diego Lopez for that.)

Of course, it was a second straight clean sheet for the Rossoneri. And with a defence that changes almost on a game-by-game basis, that is some accomplishment. But Lopez continues to make the right saves at important times, and he was solid on one-on-ones.

For Roma, it was a matter of two points lost. They had 16 shots, and they couldn't score. They still don't look dominant at home.

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of the contest.

Diego Lopez Is the Man

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Lopez is by far the reason why Milan have lost just three games this season. Even in losing efforts, he was fantastic.

His positioning is nearly perfect, and he's always shouting at the defenders. He has made 12 saves over the past two games.

The last of those was particularly heroic. He stopped Gervinho point-blank in stoppage time. The shot went right at him, but he put his body in front and made a clean stop.

Lopez is the one free transfer with actual value. He had to fight his way back into the lineup, but he's here to stay.

Roma's Attack Without Much Punch

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Sometimes, Francesco Totti plays up front. And sometimes, he's not very good. Saturday was one of those days.

Roma really needed a poacher on this night. They saved Mattia Destro for the last 20 minutes, but he didn't have a shot on goal either. Roma didn't have many ideas (good ones anyway), and they suffered against a defensive Milan.

"I do consider this a step back and two dropped points," coach Rudi Garcia told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia), "but even if we had the chances to score, perhaps we didn’t have enough opportunities and were lacking creativity without Miralem Pjanic."

Milan Go Down a Man Again

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Pablo Armero has played few matches as it is. Now he will miss another.

Armero earned himself a red card after handling the ball carelessly in the 69th minute. It was his second yellow-card offence, and it led to Milan's fifth sending-off of the season.

For Armero, the situation is particularly sensitive. He has only started in four matches. Before injuries decimated the back line, coach Pippo Inzaghi barely called upon the Colombian. 

Armero is suspended for the first game of 2015, and by the time he gets back, his spot in the lineup may be gone for good.

Another Game on the Bench for Stephan El Shaarawy

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He only came on with a few minutes to go, and Stephan El Shaarawy did not look happy.

He looked glum on the bench, and he looked slow when he was on the field. Milan were down a man with minutes to go, and El Shaarawy was simply jogging behind the play.

There were rumours earlier in the month suggesting that El Shaarawy is no longer "unsellable," according to Football Italia, which cited reports from CalcioMercato.com and Corriere della Sera. His performances haven't helped.