Abate took advantage of a defensive mix-up to fire home at the back post in the 92nd minute to give Milan a share of the spoils in the Stadio Renato Dall’ara.
The visitors had looked dead and buried with just a minute of normal time left, but Brazilian forward Robinho swept home on 89 minutes to make it 3-2 and add to Andrea Poli’s first-half goal.
Bologna had stunned Milan by opening up a 3-1 lead in the second period with a brace from Uruguayan midfielder Diego Laxalt – at Bologna on a year-long loan deal from Milan’s city rivals Inter - and a header from Jonathan Cristaldo.
Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was forced into a change in attack, with Robinho handed a rare start in place of leading scorer Mario Balotelli, suspended for three games following his post-match sending off in the home defeat to Napoli last week.
Stefano Pioli made wholesale changes for Bologna with six players recalled to the starting line-up, including defender Andrea Mantovani for the suspended Cesare Natali, who emulated Balotelli by both scoring and being dismissed in his team’s last outing, a 2-1 defeat to Torino.
Milan were dominant in possession from the outset and duly took the lead on 12 minutes, midfielder Poli finishing across goalkeeper Gianluca Curci after being expertly played in by Robinho’s through ball.
The hosts’ first real chance did not arrive until the half-hour mark, when Alessandro Diamanti’s shot on the turn was beaten away by Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.
But the home side did not have to wait long for an equaliser, Laxalt beating the offside trap on 33 minutes to fire home left-footed inside Abbiati’s near-post.
Milan reacted well to Laxalt’s strike, and were only denied a half-time lead by Curci, who pulled off a brilliant double-save on 42 minutes to block both Robinho’s effort and Birsa’s follow-up.
Bologna came out with renewed impetus in the second period, and took the lead on 52 minutes when Laxalt out-jumped Abate at the back post to head home a teasing cross from Greek winger Lazaros Christodoulopoulos.
The hosts then increased their advantage ten minutes later, when Argentine striker Cristaldo glanced in Diamanti’s pinpoint left-wing centre.
Milan continued to press, but it looked like Bologna would be able to hang on and claim the victory until Robinho bundled home after Curci had saved Sulley Muntari's initial effort.
And the draw was sealed
by Abate’s late intervention as he too pounced on a rebound, after
Curci had denied Robinho a hat-trick.
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