Champions League, Leao knocks down Girona: eighth-finals within reach for Milan

Milan, 22 January 2025 – With tooth and nail, Milan beat Girona 1-0 to secure fifth consecutive Champions League victory but above all three fundamental points to gain a place among the top eight of the competition and access the round of 5 without going through the “Caudine Forks” of the playoffs. A goal that Conceiçao's men will be able to reach mathematically in the event of a victory against Dinamo Zagreb. This evening, however, the Rossoneri, who lost Emerson Royal after less than XNUMX' due to a muscular problem, only needed a Rafael Leao's flash in the 37th minute, which put the icing on the cake in a first half in which the Rossoneri created several clear goal-scoring opportunities, also hitting the crossbar with Theo Hernandez and the post with Musah. On the other hand, Girona certainly did not play the role of sparring partner and in turn worried Milan on at least three occasions, all thwarted by a providential Maignan. Less spectacular was the second half, in which the Rossoneri were able to protect the result against a Girona that continued to play with personality without however (with the exception of the goal disallowed for Gil) creating further major headaches for the Milan defense.

The choices of Conceiçao and Michel

AC Milan coach Sergio Conceiçao does not give up on 4-2-3-1, ready to change to 4-3-3 and confirms the rumors of the day before: in the center of the back line, given Tomori's suspension, the Gabbia-Pavolovic duo is back, while on the right flank there is Emerson Royal and on the left flank Theo Hernandez. In front of the defense once again the duo formed by Fofana and Bennacer because Musah and Reijnders are used on the three-quarter line together with Leao, behind Alvaro Morata. Christian Pulisic recovered but initially on the bench. Michel's Girona responds with a Christmas tree formation: Francés, Lopez, Krejcì, Blind form the four-man line to protect the goalkeeper Gazzaniga. In the three-man midfield, Herrera and Van de Beek are the mezzali on the sides of the playmaker Romeu. Finally, up front, Tsygankov and Bryan Gil have the task of acting in support of the striker Abel Ruìz.

First half

The evening starts uphill for Conceiçao's men who, after just 5', lose Emerson Royal due to a muscle problem, replaced by Calabria. The Rossoneri do not lack the spirit of reaction, however, who take control of the game and in the 10th minute give the first jolt directly from a free kick with Reijnders who forces Gazzaniga to parry the ball. The fuse that ignites Milan, who quickly raises the revs of their engine and keeps Girona in check with great pressure: in the 11th minute the Spanish goalkeeper also outdoes Leao. In the 14th minute, Musah, after an excellent recovery on the short side of the penalty area, kicks into the middle without finding any deflections from his teammates. Calabria also, falling badly to the ground after a challenge, in the 23rd minute makes Conceiçao jump for a few moments but then gets up and continues to give his contribution ato the cause of the Rossoneri who in the 24th minute came very close to taking the lead again with Theo Hernandez who, at the end of a counterattack, missed a penalty in motion by hitting the crossbar from the heart of the area. A similar fate also befell Musah, to whom the "Lady Luck" turned her back in the 29th minute when he let a shot fired from the edge of the area hit the post. The Rossoneri attacked but at times they did so in a somewhat frenetic manner and ended up exposing themselves to the counterattacks of Girona who came out in the distance and, between the 31st and 33rd minute, created two opportunities with Van de Beek and Tsyngankov, stopped by two providential interventions by Maignan, who then also outdid himself in full recovery by stopping Herrera's attempt in the area. In the middle, however, there is the gem of Leao, who unravels the tangle by giving his team the lead at the height of yet another fast move by the Rossoneri with a feint that disorientates an opponent and precedes a violent left-footed shot that ends up under the crossbar.

Second half

The Portuguese was also the protagonist at the start of the second half: served by Fofana, he in fact reached the conclusion that however ended up docile in Gazzaniga's gloves. Girona cashed in and without too many fears reappeared in the Rossoneri half with conviction and personality, finding a beautiful equaliser in the 57th minute (a curling left-footed shot) with Gil who however started from an offside position. Conceiçao however did not seem fully satisfied and with less than half an hour to go he brought on Abraham in place of a Morata who was not very incisive in the finishing phase. On the other side, in the 70th minute, Michel – despite a Girona fully in the game – opted for a radical change in attack by replacing four players at the same time: in came Stuani, Ivan Martin, Asprilla and Danjuma for Abel Ruiz, Tsygankov, Van de Beek and Bryan Gil. The Iberians thus switched to a substantial 4-2-4 with a decidedly front-wheel drive in search of the equaliser. However, the Girona coach's revolution does not bear fruit, because the end of the match was marked by a lack of precision on both fronts, with Milan knowing how to take advantage of this by taking home three fundamental points for the passage to the round of 16.

The little table

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson Royal (from 5' Calabria), Gabbia, Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Bennacer (from 74' Terracciano); Musah, Reijnders (from 74' Pulisic), Leao; Morata (from 63' Abaham). All. Conceicao. Girona (4-3-2-1): Gazzaniga; Francés, Lopez, Krejcì, Blind; Herrera (from 78' Portu), Romeu, Van de Beek (from 71' Asprilla); Tsygankov (from 70' Ivan Martin), Bryan Gil (from 71' Danjuma); Abel Ruiz (from 70' Stuani). Coach Michel. Scorers: Leao (Mil. 37') Note - Yellow cards: Calabria, Gil, Theo Hernandez, Ivan Martin