Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 AC Milan: Boniface-led Leverkusen remain perfect after narrow win over Milan
Bayer Leverkusen ended a five-match winless streak at home against Italian teams by defeating AC Milan at the BayArena, achieving consecutive victories to commence their UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign.
The visiting team, Milan, had suffered a significant defeat against Liverpool in the opening match of this competition and appeared determined to avoid a similar outcome as they aimed to frustrate Leverkusen's efforts. Die Werkself controlled the first half but failed to convert their dominance into goals, which was not due to a lack of determination from Xabi Alonso’s squad.
Within the first five minutes, both Victor Boniface and Piero Hincapié were thwarted by Mike Maignan, the goalkeeper for the Rossoneri. Additionally, Boniface had a goal disallowed midway through the half due to Jeremie Frimpong being offside in the lead-up.
The home side was resolute in their intention to capitalize on their superiority, yet wing-back Frimpong missed two opportunities from rebounds, and Amine Adli was also denied by Maignan. Milan managed only one shot before halftime, but they expressed frustration at not being awarded a penalty after Tammy Abraham was brought down by Edmond Tapsoba in the penalty area.
The pattern of play remained unchanged after the restart, with Maignan required to make a clever save to deny Florian Wirtz in the early stages of the second half. However, Leverkusen soon broke the deadlock with an exquisite display of football.
Aleix Garcia pierced the Milan defense with a precise through ball to Alejandro Grimaldo, who executed a backheel pass to Frimpong. Although the Dutchman was denied by Maignan, Boniface was on hand to convert the rebound from close range, giving Die Werkself a well-deserved lead.
This goal opened up the match, and only the outstretched arm of Lukas Hradecky prevented Tijjani Reijnders from equalizing for the visitors. Youssouf Fofana posed a threat for an equalizer shortly thereafter, while substitute Álvaro Morata caused a scare around the BayArena when he blocked Hradecky’s attempted clearance, resulting in the ball deflecting over the bar.
While Leverkusen is accustomed to late-game heroics, Alonso seemed determined to avoid a last-minute setback as his team regained control. Nevertheless, the hosts were grateful to the woodwork for securing their victory, as Theo Hernandez’s shot struck the bar before Morata headed the rebound wide.
This marked the closest Milan would come to scoring, leaving them with only one victory in their last seven UCL away matches and starting this season’s campaign with consecutive defeats.
SportsLigue