Feyenoord 1-0 AC Milan: Rossoneri needing second leg comeback after poor display | OneFootball

AC Milan have left themselves with it all to do in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie against Feyenoord as they lost the first leg 1-0 at De Kuip.

The only goal of the game came in the opening few minutes and in truth it will be one that Mike Maignan would have liked to have done a lot better with. Igor Paixao’s shot from range seemed to take a bounce that surprised him and he could only palm it into the back of the net.

Milan in truth didn’t really deserve anything from the game as they struggled to cope with the intensity of their hosts and the end product was virtually non-existent. A much better performance will be needed next week back at San Siro.

Sergio Conceicao opted to make four changes to the starting line-up from the side that beat Empoli, with Malick Thiaw coming in for Fikayo Tomori, while Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Santiago Gimenez – returning to face his former club – all got the nod in attack.

In the pouring rain of De Kuip, Milan had the first big chance of the game inside three minutes as they cut Feyenoord open in transition. Pulisic squared to Reijnders on the edge of the box who really should have done better with his first-time shot that was instead straight into the arms of Wellenreuther.

The slippy conditions and the missed chance would bite Milan almost instantly as they took the lead through Paixao. The Brazilian was allowed to cut inside and shoot from outside the box and Mike Maignan was beaten at his near post, only parrying the ball into the net.

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Milan set about in search of an equaliser but struggled with the final pass and in some cases the final shot, such as when Joao Felix was afford time and space to let fly from around 20 yards out but again failed to really test the Feyenoord goalkeeper.

Just before the half-hour mark, Milan had a big shout for a penalty rejected as Leao went down inside the box. Surging between two players he took a clip on the ankle and hit the floor, with referee José María Sánchez not giving anything and VAR upholding his decision.

Then, straight up at the other end it was Paixao’s turn to go down inside the penalty area as he tried to latch onto a ball over the top and jostled with Strahinja Pavlovic. Again no spot kick was awarded and again VAR did not intervene.

Milan really struggled to cope with Paixao who continued to be given the opportunity to fire from dangerous range, hitting the crossbar with an attempt from distance that seemed to have Maignan beaten. Moments later, Leao looked to have successfully broken through for a two-on-one break, yet the winger was brilliantly tackled by the backtracking Read as he bore down on Wellenreuther.

Feyenoord started the second half better and could have doubled their advantage from a corner kick which was met by the head of Beelen though ultimately grasped by Maignan.

Photo by AC Milan

The home side continued to overawe Milan with their intensity and pressing, and Conceicao’s men were lucky that Carranza didn’t fire on target when found in behind by Caixao’s pass.

Just before the hour mark, Conceicao opted to make a couple of changes with Fikayo Tomori and Samuel Chukwueze coming on as Thiaw and Pulisic came off.

There were three quick fire opportunities within four minutes, the first of which fell to Reijnders on the volley right on the edge of the area but he sent it fizzing over the bar.

Then, Paixao seized possession in the middle of the field and looked to lob Maignan from a long way out though it was just off target, and Chukwueze sent a rocket of a shot through a crowd from a corner yet straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.

With eight minutes left on the clock Conceicao made a couple more alterations: Gimenez made way to a warm reception from the home crowd, replaced by Tammy Abraham, and then Francesco Camarda came on for Leao.