Feyernood 1-0 AC Milan: Hosts secure slender first-leg lead in Champions League play-off tie
Feyenoord's first knockout stage encounter in Europe's premier club competition since the 1984/85 season resulted in a 1-0 victory against AC Milan during the initial leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) knockout play-off.
This outcome extended the Rossoneri's winless streak to 12 matches in away UCL knockout games.
Attention was focused on Milan striker Santiago Giménez, who had been Feyenoord's leading scorer during the league phase of this tournament before transferring to the San Siro in January.
However, his return to De Kuip quickly turned unfavorable. In the fourth minute, Igor Paixão maneuvered in from the left wing and unleashed a speculative shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Mike Maignan, the French goalkeeper, was unable to handle the effort at his near post, allowing the ball to slip through and into the net.
The slippery pitch did not assist Maignan, while at the opposite end, Timon Wellenreuther comfortably thwarted attempts from Tijjani Reijnders and João Félix around the time of the opening goal.
Tempers flared around the 30-minute mark when both Paixão and Rafael Leão of the visitors fell in their respective penalty areas, yet referee José Sánchez dismissed both appeals for a penalty.
This seemed to invigorate Paixão, who attempted a long-range shot from 25 yards with eight minutes remaining in the first half, but his curling effort grazed the top of the crossbar.
Despite their struggles in the Eredivisie, Feyenoord appeared to maintain their strong form in the UCL as they began the second half with greater intensity.
Thomas Beelen forced Maignan into action from a corner, and shortly thereafter, substitute Julián Carranza saw his shot veer wide after Paixão continued to showcase his skill.
Sérgio Conceição’s team gained momentum in the final 20 minutes of the match, with Reijnders executing a stunning dipping volley that narrowly missed the target. Subsequently, Samuel Chukwueze, Strahinja Pavlović, and Félix all faced commendable resistance from the outstanding Wellenreuther.
In the end, however, the Rossoneri were unable to complete their comeback, as Feyenoord achieved their seventh victory in 12 home encounters against Italian teams. Additionally, Milan has now gone five matches without a win against Dutch opponents.
The two teams are set to clash once more in the second leg at San Siro next Tuesday, with either Arsenal or Inter Milan awaiting the outcome.
SportsLigue