Atletico Madrid 0-1 Milan: Messias winner blows Group B wide open

Stefano
Pioli’s
side
were
staring
elimination
in
the
face
before
Messias
rose
to
meet
Franck
Kessie’s
cross
in
the
87th
minute
and
converted
to
send
the
travelling
supporters
into
raptures
at
the
Wanda
Metropolitano.

The
goal
clinched
Milan’s
first
victory
in
this
season’s
competition
and
moved
them
ahead
of
Atletico
in
Group
B
with
one
game
left
to
play.

Results
|

Fixtures

Atletico
boss
Diego
Simeone
had
seen
his
side
frustrate
Milan
for
over
80
minutes
before
their
hopes
of
qualifying
were
thrown
up
in
the
air,
and
any
one
of
Porto,
Milan
or
Atletico
can
still
reach
the
knockout
stage
along
with
group
winners
Liverpool.

3
golden
points:
we’re
still
in
the
race
lads,
c’monnn!
????

3
punti
d’oro:
siamo
ancora
in
corsa.
Forza
Milan!
????#AtletiMilan
#UCL
#SempreMilan
pic.twitter.com/1sOfygTy4s

—
AC
Milan
(@acmilan)

November
24,
2021

Atletico’s
compact
defence
frustrated
Olivier
Giroud
throughout
the
first
half,
in
which
the
best
chance
fell
to
Theo
Hernandez,
who
blazed
over
the
crossbar
on
the
half-volley
from
12
yards
out.

Thomas
Lamar
tested
Ciprian
Tatarusanu
with
a
low
drive
early
in
the
second
half
and
Milan
spurned
a
chance
to
take
the
lead
when
Simon
Kjaer
headed
narrowly
over
the
crossbar
from
Hernandez’s
cross.

The
introduction
of
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
lifted
Milan
and
Tiemoue
Bakayoko
had
a
shot
blocked
on
the
line
before
the
Swede
went
clean
through
only
to
have
his
shot
from
eight
yards
saved
by
Jan
Oblak,
after
which
an
offside
flag
went
up.

With
three
minutes
left
on
the
clock,
Kessie
broke
down
the
left
and
delivered
a
sublime
cross
that
found
Messias
unmarked
and
the
Brazilian
headed
the
ball
down
into
the
corner
of
the
net.

Marcos
Llorente
put
the
ball
on
a
plate
for
Matheus
Cunha
at
the
other
end
but
he
fired
wide
from
point-blank
range
as
Atletico’s
night
ended
in
frustration.

What
does
it
mean?
All
to
play
for
in
Group
B

Liverpool
are
already
confirmed
as
Group
B
winners,
but
the
rest
of
the
group
will
be
determined
in
the
final
round
of
matches
and
Atletico
are
currently
bottom
on
goal
difference,
while
Milan
are
third.

Kessie
makes
the
difference

After
being
sent
off
in
the
previous
meeting
between
the
two
teams,
Kessie
made
amends
with
a
sensational
assist
for
the
goal
and
also
won
five
of
his
eight
duels
as
Milan
battled
hard
for
the
win.

Suarez
kept
quiet

Atletico
made
defending
their
focus
but
could
still
have
expected
more
from
their
strikers,
with
Luis
Suarez
failing
to
muster
an
attempt
at
goal
before
being
substituted.

Key
Opta
Facts

–
Atletico
Madrid
have
lost
three
consecutive
Champions
League
games
for
the
first
time,
also
losing
back-to-back
home
games
in
the
competition
for
the
first
time.

–
Milan
have
beaten
Atletico
in
European
competition
for
the
first
time,
having
lost
their
previous
three
encounters.
It
is
also
the
first
time
they
have
beaten
Spanish
opposition
in
the
Champions
League
since
February
2013
(2-0
against
Barcelona).

–
Atletico
Madrid
are
winless
in
six
Champions
League
home
games
(D3
L3),
failing
to
score
in
four
of
those
games
–
they
had
only
failed
to
score
in
four
of
their
previous
35
at
home
in
the
competition.

–
Milan
are
the
first
Italian
side
to
win
away
from
home
in
European
competition
against
Atletico
since
Parma
in
the
UEFA
Cup
in
April
1999
(3-1).

What’s
next?

Milan
face
Liverpool
at
San
Siro
in
a
game
that
means
much
more
to
the
hosts
than
the
visitors,
while
Atletico
travel
to
Porto
for
a
crunch
match
that
will
determine
both
sides’ fate.