Liverpool’s return to the Champions League could not have gone any better after turning around a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1 against AC Milan. Arne Slot’s side fell behind in the third minute after Christian Pulisic’s opener.
Ibrahima Konate then put matters level in the 23rd minute before Virgil van Dijk gave his team the lead shortly before the break. Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the points with a third goal to Slot’s delight.
“The whole team played well and then the individuals can shine from there,” he said post-match. “Normally you celebrate your birthday with your friends and your family. But this was a real good alternative to play a first Champions League game against a special club for Liverpool, but also a special club for Dutch people in a nice venue.
“Then to win it the way we did after going 1-0 down after five minutes with the result of Nottingham Forest still in our head. I think it was very good to see how they took the game in their hands the players and in the end we scored three goals and won 3-1.”
While it may have been the perfect night for the Reds, Milan have been criticised in the media and the ECHO has taken a look at how the Italian media have reported on Tuesday night’s events…
Milan’s defeat is heavy, the Rossoneri’s evening was full of inexplicable gaps after Pulisic’s goal. Liverpool was stronger than Milan, who has the duty to compete differently even against a superior opponent, especially at San Siro (for example, Stuttgart, which does not have the Rossoneri’s champions, scared Madrid until the 90th minute).
A team that has among its starters almost all nationals from prestigious countries cannot give up like this, as Milan did. And if Pulisic had an impact, we continue to ask ourselves what Rafael Leao did this time too. If you have the qualities of a champion, it is in challenges like this that you must emerge. But there was nothing. Liverpool put the Milanese defence in great difficulty early on, so much so that Mohamed Salah hit the crossbar twice, but the two goals conceded from corners are unacceptable.
Milan defended poorly, Mike Maignan was not the master in the small area that he should dominate. Then the goalkeeper also got injured, as the derby approaches.
Milan struggled and Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Djik, the two central defenders, scored identical goals from set pieces, where the Rossoneri’s limitations were evident. Salah hit the crossbar twice and the injured Maignan provided as many saves from Salah, while Coady Gakpo, the best on the pitch, was above the rest. Milan called for a penalty for a push on Pulisic before the long-awaited interval, but were outclassed. An embarrassing gap.
