Europa League, Milan knock out Slavia Prague at San Siro
Europa League, first round of 16: Milan-Slavia Prague 4-2
Milan beats Slavia Prague 4-2 in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, an important success in the key double confrontation, which comes perhaps with a few too many worries given the over 60 minutes of numerical superiority. However, the Rossoneri close out a positive evening for the Italians in the second continental competition, which began with the netto 4-0 inflicted by Roma on Brighton.
First half: three Rossoneri goals
The start è immediately lively, the Turkish referee Meler sets the record straight by admonishing Florenzi after not even 2' for foully interrupting an opposing counterattack. With the same authority also comes the red card that leaves the Czechs in 10 at 26': bad intervention by Diouf, who comes with his leg stretched on the ankle of Pulisic, the expulsion è inevitable.
Milan took advantage of the extra man and took the lead at 34': Leao crossed softly into the box, Giroud on a dive made it 1-0. The Rossoneri celebration lasts forò just a couple of minutes: è the 36', in fact, when on the development of a corner kick comes the 1-1 by Doudera, who guesses the winning conclusion on which Maignan è late.
The loose balls became decisive in the final minutes of the first half: on 44'è Reijnders to collect a ball outside the box and fling it into the goal with a powerful low shot that left Stanek no chance, two minutes later è Loftus-Cheek to seal the 3-1 with a header that made the San Siro crowd explode with joy.
The resumption: Schranz scares Milan, Leao and Pulisic sign the'action of the 4-2
After halftime Pioli changes half of the defense: off the cautioned Florenzi and Gabbia, in Calabria and Tomori. On the other side, Trpisovsky waits until 61'for the first change, inserting Schranz in place of Chytil: the intuition è correct because è it is precisely the newly entered footballer who scores, again on the developments of a corner, at 65'.
Milan però does not give up: at 66' Jovic takes the place of Loftus-Cheek, at 80' there are Bennacer and Okafor for Reijnders and Giroud. It's for'Leao, teaming up with Pulisic, to close out the match: great individual action on the Portuguese’s left, the American ventures on his teammate’s touch and signs the 4-2 split. It's the last thrill: in the return match, scheduled for March 14 in Prague, there will be two goals to defend for the Rossoneri.
Europa League, other results
These are the other results of the Europa League round of 16: Qarabag-Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 (Benzia, Juninho; Wirtz, Schick); Roma-Brighton 4-0 (Dybala, Lukaku, Mancini, Cristante); Sparta Prague-Liverpool 1-5 (aut. Bradley; Mac Allister, Nunez double, Diaz, Szoboszlai); Benfica-Rangers 2-2 (Di Maria penalty, aut. Goldson; Lawrence, Sterling); Freiburg-West Ham 1-0 (Gregoritsch); Olympique Marseille-Villarreal 4-0 (Veretout, aut. Mosquera, Aubameyang double); Sporting-Atalanta 1-1, played Wednesday; (Paulinho; Scamacca).
