Milan is Real, Madrid overwhelmed 1-3: Thiaw, Morata and Reijnders sign the feat at the Bernabeu

Madrid (Spain), 5 November 2024 – With the Champions League theme tune in the background, Milan transforms into “Super Milan”, wears its best suit and after 15 years conquers the Santiago Bernabeu again by beating Real Madrid 3-1. A first, very precious European success for the Rossoneri who for almost 80 minutes played a game of amazing quality and intensity: Fonseca's choices, who relaunched Leao from the 1st minute and deployed Musah on the right side of the attacking midfield but with the task of moving up to form a five-man defence when not in possession, paid good dividends, because right from the start Milan played with personality and already in the 10th minute he unlocked the situation with Thiaw's header on the corner masterfully taken by Pulisic. However, the response was immediate, relying on Vinicius who first wasted a golden opportunity on the counterattack and then the equaliser was scored on a penalty kick caused by Emerson Royal's only real lapse of concentration of the eveningThe Brazilian and the entire Rossoneri defence were in fact able to contain Mbappé and his teammates well, while the attack moved almost perfectly and in the 39th minute he made the new overtaking, signed by Moratwho promptly put the rebound back into the net after Lunin's save from a shot by an extremely positive Leao. In the second half, Milan continued to contain Real and create good opportunities, reaching the hat-trick with Reijnders in the 73rd minute. Only at the end, thanks also to Ancelotti's changes, did Real come out of their shell and try (unsuccessfully) to put the result back into question by scoring (later disallowed for Rodrygo's active offside) with Rudiger.

Ancelotti and Fonseca's choices

Ancelotti lines up the Merengues with a 4-3-1-2 ready to transform into a 4-3-3 with Lucas Vasquez, Rudiger, Militao and Mendy covering the goalkeeper Lunin, deployed in place of the injured Courtois. Surprisingly, Valverde and Modric are instead in midfield alongside Tchoameni, while Bellingham acts behind Mbappé and Vinicius, deployed in attack. 4-2-3-1, instead, for Fonseca's Milan who in the back line in front of Maignan lines up Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Tomori and Theo Hernandez. Fofana and Reijnders form the dam in front of the defense. The biggest surprises are in the trio in the attacking midfield supporting Morata: on the left Leao returns after three games started from the bench, while on the right there is Musah ready to move up to form a five-man defense when not in possession. In the middle, however, the immovable Pulisic still remains.

First half

Real Madrid tries to start strong and after just 3' they send the first signal of the match with Mbappé's diagonal shot that goes just wide to the right of Maignan, but Milan doesn't let themselves be intimidated and, taking advantage of the left chain, plays with personality and soon manages to come out of their shell creating a dangerous situation already in the fifth minute with an exchange between Leao and Theo Hernandez who gets to the shot from the goal line. However, it takes just five more minutes for the Rossoneri to unlock the situation at the Bernabeu: In fact, a Leao sprint gave rise to the corner kick that Pulisic placed on Thiaw's head for the 1-0 for the Rossoneri. Real Madrid's response was immediate and vehement, and on the change of front they almost equalised first with Mbappé who, one-on-one with Maignan, was hypnotised by the French goalkeeper and then with Vinicius, stopped once again by the French goalkeeper. The "Merengues" understood that they had to try to be serious against a Milan that, when not in possession, covered itself with an attentive five-man defence and in the 21st minute they managed to rebalance the match: from a lost ball by Theo Hernandez, the action was born that Emerson Royal takes down Vinicius with a foul in the penalty area. For the Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic there are no doubts: It's a penalty and the Brazilian winger steps up to the spot and beats Maignan with a light central lob. The equaliser from the “Blancos” however does not upset the mechanisms of Fonseca’s men who continue to play the game with pace and personality and after half an hour they become dangerous again first with Theo Hernandez and then with a shot from the edge of the area by Reijnders, which Lunin deflects with some difficulty into a corner. It is the prelude to the new Rossoneri overtaking that comes in the 39th minute: Pulisic steals a precious ball from Tchouameni and passes it to Leao who turns and shoots in the heart of the area; Lunin saves but Morata is ready to score and scores on the rebound from the Russian goalkeeper. A 2-1 that Fonseca's men manage to keep until half-time, also thanks to a save at the end of the half by Maignan who neutralizes a venomous shot from Mbappé at the end of a counterattack.

Second half

The first half spent chasing the Rossoneri pushes Ancelotti to mix things up after the break and bring on the former player of the evening Brahim Diaz and Camavinga for Tchouameni and Valverde. The “Merengues” restart with greater resourcefulness, while Milan tries not to concede depth but ends up being squeezed towards their own half. When they go on the attack, however, the Rossoneri band always knows how to be dangerous, like in the 52nd minute when Leao – on the developments of a counter-attack – almost scores a third with a header on a perfect cross from Emerson Royal, which Lunin manages to neutralize with a sensational save. Not satisfied, the Portuguese tries again in the 55th and 56th minute, wasting two good counterattacks. The Rossoneri thus manage to contain the risks at least until the 61st minute when, after a mistake coming out, Mbappé receives the ball but wastes yet another opportunity a few steps away from Maignan. The Rossoneri response arrives in the 68th minute with Morata hitting the post with his heel following a corner. The last play of the evening by the Spanish striker who at 70' - a bit bruised by a hard blow suffered during the match - leaves the field together with Pulisic to make room for Abraham and Loftus-Cheek. Fresh forces for a Milan that continues to keep control of the match and at 72' scores the third: Abraham works the first ball he touches to perfection anderve Reijnders duetting with Leao, who sees the perfect insertion into the area of ​​the Dutchman who, one on one with Lunin, does not miss the shot of 3-1 for Milan. Rodrygo and Fran Garcia are Ancelotti's last, desperate moves to try to recover the result: Real Madrid then go all out and throw themselves into the attack and in the 81st minute try to reopen the game with a goal by Rudiger, but the joy of the goal by the former Roma player lasts a few seconds because the VAR cancels everything for an active offside by Rodrygo. The final part thus turns into a drumming siege by the “Meregues” (a sensational save by Maignan on a header by Brahim Diaz in full recovery), but Milan's defensive castle - which in the 87th minute almost scores a poker with a right-footed shot by Loftus-Cheek on a cross by Okafor - holds and at the final whistle by Lunin Fonseca's men can celebrate the feat that could mean a turning point in the season.

The little table

Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Lucas Vazquez, Rudiger, Militao, Mendy (from 74' Fran Garcia); Valverde (Camavinga from 46'), Modric (Ceballos from 63'), Tchouaméni (Brahim Diaz from 46'); Bellingham (Rodrygo from 74'); Mbappé, Vinicius. Coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Musah, Pulisic (from 70' Loftus-Cheek), Leao (from 77' Okafor); Morata (from 70' Abraham). Coach Paulo Fonseca.

Scorers: Thiaw (12'), Vinicius (23'), Morata (39'), Reijnders (73').

Note - Yellow cards: Camavinga, Militao, Vasquez, Vinicius, Fofana.