AC Milan vs Liverpool highlights, Champions League 2024/25: MIL 1-3 LIV; Konate, Van Dijk & Szbozslai score

Leao hit the post and that was the last kick of the game and hence the home fans were left disappointed in the stands. Liverpool starts this new era of the Champions League on the strong foot and dominanted all around the pitch despite conceding an early goal.

Sloppy defending by Milan as it gives the ball away in its own box due to a high Liverpool press. Nunez gets the ball and takes a low-driven shot but it is saved by the keeper.

Endo and Chiesa have been subbed in for Salah and Mac Allister.

Six minutes given as added time.

Milan wins a late corner as it takes it quick and short but the header from inside the box goes over the post.

AC Milan is on the front foot at the moment as it makes one attack after another. Theo takes a shot from distance that kisses the grass all the way but narrowly misses the post.

Darwin Nunez was through on goal but his shot is blocked and deflected behind for a corner.

Leao paces down the left wing with the ball but his pass into the box is intercepted by the Liverpool backline!

Gakpo outpaces Milan’s backline and squares it to Szboszlai who makes a simple one-touch finish into the net!

Szoboszlai gets the ball right in front of goal as he makes a turn and takes a shot saved by the Milan keeper. The ball goes to Tsimikas on the rebound but his shot goes wide yet again.

Milan switches the wing as Leao gets the ball well into the final third on the left but his cut-back pass fails to find a teammate inside the box.

Liverpool builds down the middle as Tsimikas gets the ball inside the box with ample space but his shot was wat off-target.

Yellow card to Mac Allister for a late challenge on Fofana.

AC Milan keeper Maignan has been subbed off due to an injury and youngster Torriani has been sent to man the sticks.

AC Milan loses the ball in the middle of the park as Gakpo moves forward and takes a shot which gets deflected and goes into no-man’s land inside the box. Maignan comes off his line to reach the ball before Gakpo and makes a brilliant save. But the keeper is down at the moment after the collision.

Second half begins as AC Milan is trailing by a solitary goal at the San Siro stadium.

Despite the early goal, Liverpool has done well to regroup and score two to take the lead. Both goals have come from a header inside the box thanks to perfectly executed set-pieces. Mian has done well in all departments but it needs to do better in the final third and be careful with its tackles since two players are on a yellow card in the backline. 

Trent switches the wing and crosses it to Gakpo on the lefgt who takes a touch and fires a powerful shot which is saved beautifully by Maignan.

Leao makes an incredible run down the middle but he takes too much time to pass the ball and Konate wins the ball with his strength.

Five minutes added on by the referee.

Tsimikas takes the corner as this time Van Dijk gets to the ball first and heads it into the net past the keeper. Too easy for the tall and strong Dutchman!

AC Milan’s attack breaks down as Liverpool breaks into another counter. Salah gets the ball with acres of space but he decides to slow down and take a shot from distance. Maignan saves it for a corner. 

The game’s pace has gone down significantly and it seems like both teams have decided to regroup and play it safe to avoid conceding before half-time.

Tsimikas breaks into an impressive run on the left and reaches the touchline to salvage a corner.

Liverpool transitions into a quick attack as its main man Salah gets the ball on the rebound after Miagnan saves Gakpo’s shot. Salah strikes it but puts a little too much power as it struck the under side of the crossbar and then gets saved by Maignan’s leg. Another close call for Liverpool as it has found its stride again!

Liverpool gets a free-kick from a dangerous position. Trent curls it into the box and Konate leaps the highest to head it into the net.

Calabria is given a yellow card for a rash sliding challenge on Gakpo!

Tsimikas crosses it for Salah but his header is blocked quite easily.

Jota plays it into the box for Salah on the right as he takes a shot but unfortunately hits the CROSSBAR!!!!

Liverpool on the front foot this time as Gakpo gets the ball on the left wing and crosses it on the far post for Salah but the ball goes out of bounds.

Calabria and Pulisic stitch up a few good passes on the right as they progress into the final third but ultimately lose the ball.

Salah cuts in from the right and makes a solid pass to Jota inside the box but the forward fails to control it and unleash a shot.

Liverpool has done well to hold fort despite conceding that early goal but as it stands, AC Milan is pressing high with confidence.

AC Milan breaks into a counter attack on the right wing as Pulisic paces down the flank, cuts in and makes the perfect far post finish!

Liverpool kicks the game off hoping to bounce back from its loss in the Premier League. AC Milan on the other hand is in good form but is weaker on paper.

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AC Milan: Maignan(gk), Emerson, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Hernandez, Reijnders, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic, Abraham, Leao

Liverpool FC: Alisson(gk), Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Nunez

Arne Slot had made a serene start to the unenviable task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but a 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest has brought the Dutchman’s honeymoon period to an abrupt end and exposed cracks in the Reds’ facade.

Liverpool has little time to lick its wounds with a trip to AC Milan on Tuesday to open its return to the Champions League after a year away from Europe’s elite club competition.

Under Klopp, Liverpool’s prestige at the top of the European game was restored. The English giant reached three Champions League finals in five seasons between 2018 and 2022 and won the European Cup for the sixth time in the club’s history.

That is the legacy Slot inherits and the former Feyenoord boss has not been handed a kind draw by the new Champions League format.

Liverpool will face the two most succesful sides in the competition’s history in Milan and Real Madrid.

On the other hand, pressure had been building on Milan over the international break after just two points from its first three matches, and thousands of hardcore fans gathered outside the San Siro to show their support ahead of a big week for the seven-time European champion.

Paulo Fonseca’s team responded to that backing by sweeping sorry Venezia aside, racing into a four-goal lead within 29 minutes and cruising through the rest of the match.

-AFP