Champions League adventure over for Zlatan’s Milan

Liverpool had nothing to play for. Milan had it all.

Something that was reflected in each team’s starting eleven.

Because while Liverpool, who had previously secured first place in Group B, rested several of the stars, the home team ran on the strongest possible team.

The conditions were simple: Milan needed to win while second-placed Porto lost points at home to Atlético Madrid.

And it started well for the Italians. After just under half an hour of play, midfielder Fikayo Tomori stayed ahead on a corner return and pushed in 1-0 in front of over 50,000 cheering home supporters at the San Siro.

Every now and then Milan was ready for the round of 16, as the parallel meeting in Portugal was goalless.

But that was the case with Liverpool’s partly B-emphasized starting eleven. On the field were both offensive guns Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah. The latter stayed ahead on a shot return and eased the ball up in the net a few minutes before the break.

1-1 in Italy, 0-0 in Portugal. Before the last 45, it was thus once again Porto who sat in the driver’s seat in the battle for the second eighth ticket.

But the big cheer would be neither Portos nor Milan this evening.

In the 55th minute Fikayo Tomori seemed to think the job was done and acted more defensively, just waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. The Englishman’s poor reception was intercepted by Sadio Mané, who tested Mike Maignan. However, the Milan goalkeeper’s save was no better than Liverpool’s special goal scorer Divock Origi was able to nod in the return to 2-1.

At about the same time, Antoine Griezmann gave Atlético Madrid the lead in Porto.

The Spaniards then increased to both 2-0 and 3-0, before Porto got a reduction in the closing seconds.

Milan, on the other hand, did not manage to turn the tables at home at the San Siro.

Thus, it will be Atlético Madrid who join the full-scoring Liverpool in the round of 16. Porto may gain new momentum in the Europa League play-offs, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his teammates may focus on trying to pinch the league title at home in Italy.

It is, however not just Liverpool who have been clean in the Champions League this autumn.

Ajax’s 4-2 victory at home against Sporting was the Dutch club’s sixth straight and they thus move on from Group C together with the Portuguese team.

From group D, it was already clear that Real Madrid and Inter are among the teams that will be drawn on Monday until the spring quarterfinals. It is now clear that Real Madrid is pinching the group victory after defeating Inter 2-0 on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, twelve complete final teams will be 16 so far.

–