Two weeks after their 0-3 defeat in Paris, Milan bounced back to defeat PSG 2-1, thanks to the outstanding performance of striker Olivier Giroud in the fourth match of Group F in the Champions League.
In the ninth minute, Skriniar opened the scoring for PSG. After receiving the ball from Marquinhos, the Slovakian defender leaped to head the ball into Milan’s net.
However, Milan showed a different level of determination compared to the first-leg match. Just three minutes later, Rafael Leao equalized for the home team. Following a shot by Giroud that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma blocked, the Portuguese winger executed a well-placed volley from six meters to beat PSG.
This goal marked Milan’s first in the Champions League this season. Before this, in their first three matches, they had a goalless draw with Newcastle, a goalless draw with Dortmund, and a 0-3 loss to PSG.
After a dramatic start, both teams continued to play aggressively. PSG maintained 62% ball possession but managed only 12 attempts on goal. Meanwhile, Milan only had 38% ball possession but registered 14 shots on goal.
Kylian Mbappe played as the central forward for PSG but was not as effective as in their previous wins against Dortmund (2-0) and Milan (3-0). In the first half, the 24-year-old forward missed the target with a shot and had a clear chance thwarted by Milan’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Another PSG player, Ousmane Dembele, also missed an opportunity with a half-volley that hit the crossbar.
Milan quickly responded to PSG’s early lead. Giroud and Leao had shots on goal, and Fikayo Tomori’s direct free-kick struck the crossbar. In the 50th minute, the home team took a 2-1 lead. After a cross from the left by Theo Hernandez, Giroud leaped high to head the ball into the net, beating Donnarumma.
In this match, in addition to conceding two goals, Donnarumma had to endure jeers from his former club’s fans. Milan fans threw thousands of fake banknotes with the image of the Italian goalkeeper onto the pitch to criticize his transfer to PSG in 2021. Towards the end of the game, Donnarumma had to work hard as he could not deflect a direct free-kick by Hernandez and a half-volley from Noah Okafor. Milan could have led 3-1 if the Euro 2021 champion had not reacted well.
PSG played ineffectively after falling behind. However, the visitors almost equalized with a shot that hit Milan’s post in the 89th minute, courtesy of South Korean player Lee Kang-in.
After their defeat in Italy, PSG dropped to second place in Group F. The team managed by Luis Enrique now has six points after four matches, trailing the group leader, Dortmund, by one point. Meanwhile, Milan revived their hopes of advancing. The former Serie A champions are now in third place with five points, one point ahead of bottom-placed Newcastle. In the next match, PSG will host Newcastle, while Milan will host Dortmund.
