Serie A

UCL | Milan 1-3 B Dortmund: Diavolo disaster

November 29, 2023

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UCL | Milan 1-3 B Dortmund: Diavolo disaster

Milan now risk not even managing to take third place and drop into the Europa League after a 3-1 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund, which saw Olivier Giroud’s early penalty parried and another injury.

This was an extraordinarily tight group with only three points separating leaders Dortmund from Newcastle at the bottom going into the fifth matchday. Giroud was available after a Serie A ban and Ruben Loftus-Cheek ready to start, but Rafael Leao, Noah Okafor, Simon Kjaer, Pierre Kalulu, Marco Pellegrino, Ismael Bennacer, Mattia Caldara, Marco Sportiello and suspended Yunus Musah missed out. Borussia missed Felix Nmecha, Julien Duranville and Niklas Sule, while Nico Schlotterbeck and Marcelo Sabitzer were not at 100 per cent.

It was an aggressive start from the hosts, who were awarded a penalty after six minutes when Schlotterbeck charged down the Samuel Chukwueze effort with his arm. However, Giroud’s weak and central spot-kick was parried by Gregor Kobel.

Instead, moments later the referee awarded a penalty at the other end for Davide Calabria’s tackle on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and this time Marco Reus fired it with power into the top corner beyond Mike Maignan’s glove.

Bynoe-Gittens was a constant threat with his pace and drilled over from a tricky angle and a Christian Pulisic weak attempt was smothered, but Maignan got down to palm away the dangerous Donyell Malen pull-back from the by-line.

Schlotterbeck made a crucial block on Giroud from six yards, but Milan equalised with a wonderful solo effort from Chukwueze, who cut inside from the right past two defenders and placed the finish into the far bottom corner.

Milan should’ve gone into the break ahead, but Calabria nodded the Christian Pulisic ball across the face of goal when unmarked at the back post.

After the restart, an acrobatic Pulisic volley was charged down in the six-yard box, but

Disaster struck when Malick Thiaw pulled up clutching the back of his thigh with what looks like a hamstring injury.

Without a suitable replacement on the bench, they had to reshuffle at the back and it showed, as Borussia Dortmund restored their lead with a good passing move, Marcel Sabitzer’s flick finding Bynoe-Gittens to sweep into the far bottom corner with the inside of the boot.

Giroud’s header on a corner was straight at the goalkeeper, but Milan conceded a third when substitute Karim Adeyemi hit a sudden strike from the edge of the area and it surprised Maignan, who got a hand to it, but not enough to keep it out.

Fullkrug nodded over, but Milan were unlucky in the final minutes when Luka Jovic saw his header thump the upright.

They also risked conceding a fourth, as Fullkrug’s rocket smashed against the underside of the crossbar.

Milan’s confidence was rock-bottom and it showed, as Loftus-Cheek’s volley was going for a throw-in and then Jovic scuffed the finish at Kobel from seven yards.

This victory means Borussia Dortmund are guaranteed qualification, but the last-gasp PSG equaliser leaves the group open.

Milan 1-3 Borussia Dortmund

Reus pen 10 (B), Chukwueze 37 (M), Bynoe-Gittens 59 (B), Adeyemi 69 (B)

Saved penalty: Giroud 6 (M)

28-11-2023 20:00

MatchDay 5

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)