AC Milan scored for the first time in this season’s Champions League to beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in a hugely entertaining match on Tuesday and leave Group F wide open.
Rafael Leão and Olivier Giroud scored early in each half to help Milan recover from conceding a ninth-minute opener to former Inter Milan defender Milan Škriniar and give their team its first group win.
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There were chances galore in an end-to-end match played at a breathless pace at San Siro. Milan, which lost 3-0 at PSG two weeks ago, started the day bottom of its group.
Borussia Dortmund beat Newcastle 2-0 in the other match and now leads the group with seven points. The German team is a point above PSG, two above Milan and three above Newcastle.
The match in Milan marked the first time Gianluigi Donnarumma had played at San Siro since leaving the Rossoneri on a free transfer two years ago and joining PSG. And the Italy goalkeeper got a predictably hostile reception at the stadium where he was once loved.
As well as booing Donnarumma and chanting offensive songs about him, Milan fans had also printed out thousands of fake dollar notes with his face on and the word “Dollarumma.”
Milan should have taken the lead in the sixth minute when Leão skipped down the left and put in a tantalizing cross for an unmarked Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who ballooned over the bar from a good position.
PSG was not so forgiving when the Milan defense was caught napping three minutes later. Marquinhos nodded on a corner and Škriniar, who was left completely unmarked, crouched down to head it in from close range.
However, Milan leveled in impressive fashion just three minutes later. Leão charged down the center of the field and spread the ball to Giroud. His angled drive was parried by Donnarumma but Leão scored the rebound with an acrobatic overhead kick.
Both teams continued to rack up the chances. Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan had to be quick off his line to smother at Kylian Mbappé’s feet following a great pass from Ousmane Dembelé, who also hit the crossbar in the 27th minute.
Giroud and Leão sent efforts narrowly wide at the other end.
And it was the veteran France forward who gave Milan the lead five minutes into the second half. Leão couldn’t get on the end of Christian Pulisic’s cross from the left but Theo Hernández crossed it back in for a towering Giroud header.
Hernández almost got on the scoresheet himself — against the team his brother Lucas plays for — but his free kick was kept out by a flying save from Donnarumma.
PSG came close to snatching a late equalizer but Lee Kang-in’s effort came off the outside of the right post.
Pepe becomes becomes oldest UCL scorer as Porto beats Antwerp
Porto captain Pepe became the oldest scorer in Champions League history as Porto beat 10-man Antwerp 2-0 on Tuesday to end the Belgian club’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Pepe, who is 40 years, 254 days old, scored in stoppage time after Brazilian striker Evanilson put the hosts in front with a first-half goal.
FC Porto’s Pepe celebrates scoring its second goal against Royal Antwerp in the Champions League. | Photo Credit: Pedro Nunes/ REUTERS
The previous record was held by Roma’s Francesco Totti, who scored in Europe’s top club competition at age 38 years, 59 days in 2014.
Antwerp initially managed to counter the hosts’ early pressure and had an excellent chance to take the lead after only eight minutes when Porto gave the ball away in its half. Forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha was quickly set up in the box, only to miss the target.
Evanilson, who had scored a hat trick in a 4-1 win in Antwerp last month, then came close but dragged his shot wide in the 15th minute.
The Brazilian forward had another occasion in the 32nd minute from the penalty spot. He sent goalkeeper Senne Lammens the wrong way to put Porto in front with his seventh goal this season.
Antwerp took a further blow in the 52nd minute when midfielder Jurgen Ekkelenkamp was shown a red card after VAR check for a reckless tackle on Zaidu Sanusi.
Porto, however, had to wait until the added time to take advantage of the situation to add another goal when Pepe headed the ball home just after Antwerp winger Arbnor Muja missed a golden chance to level.
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