AC Milan’s hopes of reaching the Champions League Round of 16 took a significant blow as they fell 1-0 to Feyenoord in Rotterdam. A costly mistake by goalkeeper Mike Maignan gifted the Dutch side an early lead, leaving the Rossoneri with a mountain to climb in the second leg at San Siro.
Milan opted for an ambitious lineup, fielding their “Fab Four” of Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, and Santiago Gimenez together for the first time. Gimenez, facing his former club, led the attack. However, Milan was without key players such as Yunus Musah (suspended), Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Emerson Royal (injured), while several others were left off the UEFA squad list. Feyenoord, meanwhile, entered the match under interim coach Pascal Bosschaart after sacking Brian Priske just two days earlier.
The game started disastrously for Milan. After Tijjani Reijnders tested Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther early on, Igor Paixao struck at the other end with a seemingly harmless shot that bobbled awkwardly in front of Maignan and slipped into the net at the near post. The French goalkeeper’s howler set the tone for a frustrating evening for Stefano Pioli’s side.
Milan struggled to create clear-cut chances despite their attacking firepower. Joao Felix missed an opportunity to connect with a Leao through ball and collided with Wellenreuther. Both Leao and Paixao had penalty appeals waved away for going down too easily. Thomas Beelen made a crucial block to deny Leao from close range, while Paixao remained a constant threat down Feyenoord’s left flank, nearly doubling the lead with a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar.
Rafael Leao had a promising counter-attack from deep inside his own half but hesitated in front of goal, allowing Givairo Read to recover and block his effort. Milan’s struggles to test Wellenreuther continued as Joao Felix’s low drive from outside the box was comfortably saved.
Feyenoord came close to extending their lead in the second half through Beelen’s header and Julian Carranza’s effort following excellent buildup play by Paixao. The Brazilian winger even attempted an audacious lob from midfield that Maignan managed to keep out.
Milan’s best chance came from substitute Samuel Chukwueze, but his shot was straight at Wellenreuther. Strahinja Pavlovic made a vital block on an Anis Hadj Moussa counter-attack late in the game to keep Milan within touching distance.
Ultimately, Milan rarely troubled Feyenoord’s defense and will need a vastly improved performance in next week’s return leg at San Siro. With their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread, Pioli’s side must find solutions quickly to overturn this deficit and keep their European campaign alive.
Goals: Paixao 3 (F)
Feyenoord (4-3-3): Wellenreuther; Read (79′ Mitchell), Beelen, Hancko, Smal (70′ Hugo Bueno); Timber (79′ Osman), Moder, Milambo; Paixão (85′ Ivanusec); Ueda (46′ Carranza), Moussa.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Thiaw (60′ Tomori), Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic (60′ Chukwueze), Joao Felix, Leao (83′ Camarda); Gimenez (83′ Abraham).
