result and goals of the match

Milan chained their fifth victory in the Champions League and mathematically sealed Girona’s elimination by beating Míchel Sánchez’s team 1-0 at San Siro with a solitary goal from Rafael Leao in the first half of the duel, corresponding to the seventh and penultimate day of the league phase of the Champions League.

Girona was ambitious in its staging, but Milan soon claimed the initiative and began to collect clear scoring chances. In the tenth minute Paulo Gazzaniga, decisive for another night, diverted a direct free kick from Tijjani Reijnders and a shot from Leao into a corner kick. Míchel’s team began to suffer and to pull back: so far back that when he recovered the ball he was too many meters away from the rival goal.

Míchel’s men lost their fear when they saw that their rival did not translate their superiority into goals. He perked up. But he was penalized once again for his chronic lack of goals. Donny van de Beek, new to the eleven, danced in the area and was alone in front of the goal, but Mike Maignan saved the 0-1 score. Right after he denied it to Viktor Tsygankov.

And in the end the Italian goal fell, after a loss by Abel Ruiz in the wide zone. Calabria, Emerson’s substitute, saw a spot behind the defense and assisted Leao. The Portuguese ran without opposition until he only had to cut down and shoot Gazzaniga.