The match got off to a promising start for Milan as Christian Pulisic gave them the lead with a well-taken goal in the early stages. The visitors, however, were pegged back almost immediately. Some uncharacteristically poor defending allowed Slovan to capitalize, and they equalized swiftly, much to Milan’s frustration.
Milan regained control in the second half, where two quick-fire goals seemed to put the game beyond doubt. Rafael Leao’s brilliant individual effort doubled the Rossoneri’s lead, and just minutes later, Tammy Abraham made it 3-1 with a composed finish, leaving Slovan with little room for recovery.
However, the Slovakian side refused to lie down. With the clock ticking down, a stunning strike from teenager Marcelli gave them a glimmer of hope, making it 3-2 and setting the stage for a nervy finish. Milan, despite their earlier dominance, began to falter under pressure, and the tension mounted further when midfielder Tolic was shown a red card in stoppage time for a reckless challenge.
Despite these final moments of chaos, Milan managed to hold on to their slender advantage. The match statistics were firmly in their favor, with the Rossoneri enjoying 67% possession, making 86 entries into the final third compared to just 34 from Slovan. Milan’s expected goals (xG) of 1.60 also outstripped Slovan’s 0.97, underlining their overall superiority despite the late drama.
With the victory, Milan now turn their focus to their upcoming Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade, while Slovan will face the daunting task of Atletico Madrid in their next group fixture.
While Milan can be pleased with the three points, they will be aware that their defensive lapses and the late pressure will need addressing before they face tougher opposition. As for Slovan, despite the defeat, they showed resilience, especially in the second half, and will take some confidence from their spirited fightback.
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