It was supposed to be the match for AC Milan’s possible qualification, it was. But in the most surprising way: the Rossoneri succumbed for a quarter of an hour, unrecognizable, almost humiliated. They see ghosts. They rise again, they pull themselves up, they overturn it, they spread. And in the end they celebrate. It ends 4-2 against Celtic in a crazy swirl of emotions.
Stefano Pioli is back on the Milan bench, while on the pitch the novelty is Krunic in the median, preferred to Tonali with Bennacer who, although recovered, sits on the bench. Rest Romagnoli, space in Gabbia. On the right Dalot makes Calabria catch his breath while on the trocar Hauge has a new chance as a starter and Castillejo is preferred to Saelemaekers.
Milan who, however, does not take the field. A soft team, overwhelmed by a Celtic who, even if already eliminated, seems much more motivated than the Rossoneri, immediately in a doll: Donnarumma serves Krunic in a very dangerous area, the Bosnian does not resist the pressure and Rogic thanks him scoring in the 7 ‘. At 14 ‘through Christie who ends up between the central and puts Edouard face to face with the goalkeeper, overcoming him with the dig. In the midst of Kjaer’s injury, which takes away another leader from Milan after Ibrahimovic: in his place Romagnoli and the start (see 0-2 goal) is a nightmare.
Rossoneri who are in fact Celtic’s punching ball, Rossoneri who, however, manage to draw the joker in the 24th minute: Christie extends Rogic to the limit and Calhanoglu brushes perfectly on a free-kick, sending the ball to the left of the goalkeeper. Two minutes later Théo Hernandez sinks, puts in the middle and finds Castillejo good at downloading on the net. It is 2-2 that brings Milan back to life and gives them courage in the following minutes, even if Celtic, once digested the double blow, resumes pushing, putting an all too vulnerable defense on the ropes.
In the second half the Jens Petter Hauge show is staged: the Norwegian shows off his entire repertoire, made up of speed and technique. At 50 ‘he puts the arrow in every direction, going away in a handkerchief with three men and then placing the ball right, directing it to the farthest pole. At the end of the match he again collects a splendid throw from Bennacer, who entered the game in progress, and still overtakes three opponents by serving in depth another newcomer, Brahim Diaz who with a touch below scores the 4-2 in the 82nd minute. Meanwhile, from Lille, a whirlwind of emotions arrives: Sparta wins up to ten minutes from the end, promising a group final with tense nerves. Burak Yilmaz overturns the game in five minutes and gives Milan the round of 32. It hadn’t happened for three years.
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