First success of the season in the Champions League for Milan, which chases away the ghosts of the double knockout against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen with which it began its adventure in the revised top continental competition. It certainly wasn’t a brilliant performance for the Rossoneri, who however boasted better individual skills than their opponents, who played better but also had to spend a lot to compensate for Onyedika’s red card in the first half.
Shocking start to the match for the Rossoneri, who risked three times in the space of 7 minutes: mistake in the middle of the pitch by Fofana, who had the ball stolen by Vanaken and launched Tzolis, Maignan decisive. The Greek is again dangerous a few minutes later, while Ordonez scares Maignan from distance with a stone that hits the crossbar, with the goalkeeper immobile. Finally Milan in the 27th minute: Leao comes on, cuts the area with the ball at his feet and serves Pulisic, who crosses with his right foot but finds Mignolet’s response with his foot. Milan were at their best and found the lead within five minutes: the American himself takes his team forward directly from a corner, dishing a violent shot towards the center in the direction of Gabbia, who however does not touch it. The ball arrives violently towards Mignolet, who is very uncertain and is unable to avoid the Rossoneri’s advantage. A few minutes pass and a very harsh intervention by Onyedika on Reijnders costs the Nigerian a red card, after the VAR intervention. We go to the break with the minimum advantage.
Soft start to recovery for the Rossoneri Club Brugge equalized as soon as they returned to the pitch in the second half thanks to Sabbe, author of a precise right-footed shot that went past an innocent Maignan: action started by Tzolis and closed by the two new arrivals, with Vetlesen’s finish and the young full-back’s conclusion, the Rossoneri immediately caught up. Fonseca changes: Okafor and Chukwueze come in and the match goes straight away. Milan took the lead again at San Siro with a burst from Okafor, who replaced an impalpable Leao: the Swiss suddenly accelerates and serves in the center for the onrushing Reijnders, who makes it 2-1 with the big shot. Fonseca was absolutely decisive, sending not only Okafor but also Chukwueze onto the pitch. The Nigerian gives strength to this theory with the assist of the trio, again from Reijnders, again with a flat shot from the center of the area. There is time for history before the end of the match: Francesco Camarda made his debut in the Champions League at 16 years and 226 days, becoming the youngest Italian ever to punch in the competition. There would even be time for his first goal in the Champions League, but a millimeter offside deprives the very young striker of this joy and Italian football of a historic record.
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