Milan beat Slavia 3-1 and flies to the quarter-finals of the Europa League

Prague (Czech Republic), 14 March 2024 – Il Milan leaves behind the non-football storm that has engulfed the club in recent days and, with a decidedly convincing performance in terms of play and attitude, secures a very important pass for the quarter-finals of the Europa League: the Rossoneri manage to repeat the success obtained a week ago with 4-2 at San Siro ago and they won the Eden Arena by overwhelming Slavia Prague with an equally peremptory 3-1. The greatest emotions of the evening were mainly condensed in the first 45 minutes: forced, after just 18 minutes, to give up Maignan – decisive in the 14th minute on Chytil but then knocked out by the after-effects of a clash with Vicek at the start of the match – Milan were able to react and, once they found themselves in numerical superiority to the expulsion of Holes, just as happened in the first leg, he changed pace and unblocked the situation with the Pulisic's winning left-footed shot in the 33rd minute. A play that definitively loosened the reins of Pioli's men who, taking advantage of the wide spaces that opened up in front of them, put the matter to rest doubling the lead already in the 35th minute with Loftus-Cheek, served at the culmination of a beautiful triangulation born on the left, etcwinging the hat trick with Leao, author of a masterpiece goal, right footed, fully recovered. In the second half, the Rossoneri limited themselves to containing Slavia, conceding only in the 85th minute the winner was scored by the substitute Jurasek.

The choices of Pioli and Trpisovsky

Pioli opts for the tried and tested 4-2-3-1: Maignan is always in goal, who has a defensive package in front of him in which captain Calabria returns from the 1st minute - in place of the suspended Florenzi - and Tomori, flanked by Gabbia and Tomori. The real surprise, however, is in front of the defense, where Musah is preferred to Bennacer and Reijnders to form the pair in the middle together with Adlì. Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek and Leao instead form the trio in the attacking midfield, supporting striker Giroud. Mirror form for Trpisovsky's Slavia who opts for very few changes compared to the first leg match: in the four-man defense line in front of the goalkeeper Stanek there is Ogbu acting as a defense with Vicek, Zima and Zmrly. The midfield is manned by the tandem of Holes and Dorley, while Doudera, Provod and Wallem support striker Chytil.

First half

As expected, Slavia's start is enterprising and after just 3' the first blow hits Milan: in an attempt to disengage after a back pass, in fact, Maignan comes into hard contact with Vicek. The AC Milan goalkeeper suffers the blow to his knee and after a few minutes draws the attention of the referee Nyberg who stops the game to have the Rossoneri medical workers intervene again: the Rossoneri initially manages to grit his teeth and in the 14th minute, precisely with the leg, saves the result by making a miraculous intervention on Cythil's turn, but after just 4', he is forced to raise the white flag and make way for Sportiello. Slavia too for their part, however, in the 18th minute were forced to deal, as happened in the first leg, with a premature expulsion: that of Holes, imposed after a check on the VAR monitor for a strong stomp on Calabria. Despite being outnumbered, the hosts, at least initially, did not give up attacking with resourcefulness, but ran the risk of being discovered. Inevitably, in fact, as the minutes pass, fields open up in front of Milan that first Pulisic and then Leao are unable to capitalize on, because on their way they find two great interventions from Stanek who manages to stop them one-on-one. However, the American striker knows how to make amends in the 33rd minute, when he scores the lead for his team: the action is started by Theo Hernandez, who from the left serves Leao in the area, who in turn places the ball on Pulisic's feet who disorientates his marker made it 1-0 for Milan thanks to a feint and a left-footed low shot. The inertia of the match suddenly changes masters and Milan begins to play on the velvet by exploiting the left chain, which just 2' later also becomes the protagonist of the action that leads to 2-0: everything once again starts from the feet Of Theo Hernandez, who, after a triangulation with Leao, arrives at the back and sends a cross to Loftus-Cheek who - with the goal practically unprotected - deposits the ball into the net. Before the break, in the extensive recovery granted by Nyberh, However, there is also room for the trio signed by Leao with a real gem: a right-footed shot from the edge of the area, which goes under the top corner and effectively ends the game by sending Milan to the locker rooms at 3-0.

Second half

With qualification now one step away, Pioli after the break makes room for Kalulu - who also returns to the field in Europe after a long stop - and Thiaw, who take the place of Calabria and Tomori, who was booked and therefore forced to miss the next Milan's European match. However, it is Slavia - supported by the incessant push of the Eden Arena, but not free from some intemperance towards the Rossoneri players (Adlì is in fact the subject of drinks being thrown) - who take control of the game at the start of the second half to try to at least limit the damage with Trpisovsky also playing the Jurecka card, instead of Cythil. However, Milan contained the home team's generous maneuver without any particular worries and, slyly, slowly regained control of the dribble, trying, in the 62nd minute, to strike with Giroud who, at the height of an action born from a high recovery, he sends the ball to the bottom, narrowly missing the opponent's goal. The match then continued without further shocks until the 85th minute when Jurasek, as soon as he entered, scored the final 1-3 goal with a left-footed shot, which at least arithmetically makes the defeat for SlaviA less bitter.. In the final stages of the match there was also room for an opportunity for Giroud who was denied the joy of scoring by yet another providential intervention from Stanek, who did well to neutralize a poisonous header from the Frenchman.  The scoreboard: Slavia Prague (4-2-3-1): Stanek; Vicek (from 46' Tomic), Ogbu, Zima, Zmrzly; Holes, Dorley; Doudera (from 81' Schranz), Provod (from 81' Jurasek), Wallem (from 70' Zafeiris); Chytil (from 58' Jurecka). All. Trpisovsky Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan (from 18' Sportiello); Calabria (from 46' Kalulu), Gabbia, Tomori (from 46' Thiaw), Theo Hernandez; Adli, Musah; Pulisic (Chukwueze from 62'), Loftus-Cheek (Reijnders from 75'), Leao; Giroud. All. Pioli Scorers: Pulisic (33') Loftus-Cheek (35'), Leao (45'+5), Jurasek (85'). Note - Warnings: Doudera, Tomori, Gabbia, Tomic, Leao, Oscar. Expulsions: Holes Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden).