Feyenoord Kicks AC Milan Out of the Champions League
Source:Â http://richportaltv.com
After being held to a draw by Feyenoord in the second leg of their elimination playoff match at San Siro Stadium, AC Milan was eliminated from the Champions League.
In just 36 seconds, the Italians overcame a 1-0 deficit in the first leg last week when Santiago Gimenez scored the fastest goal of the season against his old team in the Champions League.
However, Milan’s full-back Julian Carranza, a Feyenoord substitute, headed in the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute to give Feyenoord a 2-1 aggregate victory after Theo Hernandez was dismissed in the 51st minute for two yellow cards.
The Dutch team will either play Inter Milan or Arsenal next month, depending on the outcome of the last-16 draw, which is scheduled for this Friday.
Milan boss Sergio Conceicao said, “It’s a big defeat for me, and I made many mistakes.
“I am responsible for this defeat. We should have been better on a mental level. This elimination is down to me, not Theo or anyone else. I’m the one who’s responsible—Theo has given a lot to Milan.”
Seven-time European champions Milan had the perfect start with Gimenez’s effort.
Christian Pulisic’s cross to the back post was nodded back into the danger zone by Malick Thiaw for the Mexico international to head home from close range for his sixth goal of the competition—five of which came in Feyenoord colours before he left them in the winter transfer window.
Conceicao’s side pushed for the aggregate lead as Tijjani Reijnders and Joao Felix went close, before Hernandez’s fierce strike cannoned off the upright in the 23rd minute.
Timon Wellenreuther denied Rafael Leao in the final moments of the first half, and Kyle Walker’s low shot from the edge of the box early in the second half put the Feyenoord goalkeeper to the test once more.
Six minutes after the restart, Frenchman Hernandez was given a second booking for simulation, which gave the Dutch team, led by interim manager Pascal Bosschaart, a boost.
For the first time since 1974, Feyenoord took use of the numerical advantage when Carranza met Hugo Bueno’s cross and hammered a header past Milan captain Mike Maignan to advance his team to the round of 16 of the top European championship.
However, they will be without Givairo Read for the last-16 tie as the right-back received a red card for violent conduct when tensions flared between the sides after the final whistle.
Once a powerhouse of European football, Milan have now only made it to the last 16 of the Champions League once since the 2013-14 season.
That was under Stefano Pioli, who led them to the semi-finals in 2022-23 and also helped them lift their first Serie A title in 11 years in 2022.
However, the Rossoneri have failed to hit those heights since Pioli left after a five-year spell at the end of last season, with former Porto boss Conceicao their second manager in this campaign after replacing Paulo Fonseca, who was sacked in December.
Conceicao took charge of the club with Milan eighth in the Serie A table, and although results have picked up recently, they are still in danger of missing out on European football next season.
At the moment, Milan is five points behind fourth-place Juventus and a spot in the Champions League for the following season, and one point behind sixth-place Fiorentina, who hold the spot for the Conference League play-off round.
Conceicao will be under even more pressure with this disappointing early Champions League departure, even though he won the Italian Super Cup by defeating Inter Milan immediately after his appointment.