Olivier Giroud (photo Lapresse)
Milan, Giroud: “Yes, we can win the Champions League”
“It was a special night for me. I was frustrated for missing a penalty after a long time, but I stayed focused on the game and never gave up. I knew I’d have another chance, Rafa did everything and I was ready “It was also fantastic for the fans. Leao wanted me to polish my boots, today he played a great game like the whole team; we showed great team spirit. Now we can dream”, Olivier Giroud said after 1 -1 which qualified Milan in the Champions League semi-final against Napoli. “Yes, we can win the Champions League. Now there are very strong teams, but we are a lot of stuff. Now we’ll all celebrate together in the locker room, then we’ll just need serenity and calm. The derby with Inter? Why not… it would be a good semi-final but I think Benfica can still have a last word.”
Milan in the semi-final of the Champions League, Pioli: “They gave us all the underdogs…”
“We started from Rio Ave… Everyone called us underdogs, but I train a group with a big heart. Desired and deserved qualification, congratulations to my boys”. Now there could be the derby against Inter: “It will probably be like this because they have a big advantage after the first leg, they will be two more very difficult and stimulating clashes. It is normal that it will be like this because it will be two Champions League semi-finals”, the words by Stefano Pioli after the 1-1 draw in Naples which earned his Milan the semi-final of the Champions League. “Having a 1-0 lead in the first leg helped us in one direction and slowed us down in the other. We didn’t want to give Osimhen depth, we had to dribble better in the second half, but many of our players had never played such an important game. Yes they are all sacrificed. Thanks also to our fans who have always supported us, we are proud,” he explained to the microphones of Sport Mediaset. Compliments to Krunic: “Great game by Rade, he’s very important for us because he has readings that others don’t have”.
Rafael Leao (photo Lapresse)
Milan in the Champions League semifinal after 16 years: Giroud scores from Leao’s assist and Napoli are out
Osimhen’s goal in full stoppage time was not enough for Napoli, who didn’t go beyond a 1-1 draw with Milan in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, allowing the Rossoneri to snatch the pass for the semi-finals (it hadn’t happened since 2007, the year of the victory in the final against Liverpool in Athens, the seventh and last Rossoneri Cup) at the end of a match full of episodes. A failed penalty for Giroud and Kvaratskhelia (saves by Meret and Maignan), another one not previously conceded to the Neapolitans and goals by Giroud and Osimhen. It’s delirium for Pioli’s team who conquer Maradona again, beat Spalletti’s men for the third time in 16 days and are now waiting for the winner of Inter-Benfica (2-0 for the Nerazzurri in the first leg).
Napoli-Milan 1-1: Giroud and Osimenh. Meret and Maignan save penalties The breaking latest news
The very first moments of the match are almost all of the Neapolitan brand: the hosts push right from the start in search of the goal that can immediately rebalance the double challenge, but the Rossoneri rearguard proves to be attentive by conceding very little space. In the 21st minute the first great episode of the match arrives, but in favor of the guests: Leao is knocked down in the area by Mario Rui, the referee whistles an impeccable penalty, Giroud however misses it by being hypnotized by a super Meret, always providential with his feet on the French just a few minutes later. Another episode of the match occurs in the 36th minute in the AC Milan area, when Leao seems to clearly anticipate Lozano in a slide, but the images show how the Portuguese’s first touch is on the Mexican’s foot and not on the ball (the Var goes into action but does not recall the referee). In the 43rd minute Milan’s opening goal arrived, who went ahead thanks to Giroud, good at making up for the previous mistake by putting an assist into an empty net after a kiss from Leao, the protagonist of a sumptuous ride with a slalom between three defenders. At the start of the second half, Napoli would need a shock immediately and Kvaratskhelia tries to take the lead, finishing twice within a few minutes after two excellent plays, but without hitting the target. Milan are more concerned with defending the advantage rather than looking for a safety goal, so the Azzurri continue to press and in the 80th minute they find the possible episode to reopen the discussion: Tomori’s hand in the area on Di Lorenzo’s cross, another penalty but even Kvaratskhelia lets herself be hypnotized by Maignan. In full recovery, Napoli still finds the 1-1 goal with Osimhen, but it is not enough to prove the miracle.
Naples-Milan match table
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani (29′ St Ostigard), Juan Jesus, Mario Rui (34′ Oliver); Ndombele (18′ st Elmas), Lobotka, Zielinski (29′ st Raspadori); Politano (34′ Lausanne), Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia. A disp.: Idasiac, Gollini, Bereszynski, Gaetano. All.: Spalletti
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Brahim Diaz (14′ st Messias), Bennacer, Leao (39′ st Saelemaekers); Giroud (23′ st Origi). Unavailable: Mirante, Ballo-Touré, Rebic, Kalulu, Florenzi, Thiaw, Pobega, Gabbia, De Ketelaere. All.: Pioli
Referee: Marciniak (Polonia)
Scorers: 43′ Leao (M), 48′ st Osimhen (N)
Booked: Theo Hernandez (M), Maignan (M), Di Lorenzo (N)
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