Late Milan winner stuns Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid's chances of reaching the Champions League last 16 were dealt a hammer blow on Wednesday after a 1-0 defeat by AC Milan left them needing to win at Porto in their final game in Group B.
A scrappy contest at the Wanda Metropolitano looked set to end goalless until Milan substitute Junior Messias headed home a dramatic winner in the 87th minute to leave Atletico staring down the barrel of an early exit.
Messias' goal not only means Atleti will need a victory instead of a draw in Porto on December 7 but it also brings Milan back to life, as they sit just a point behind Porto ahead of their closing match against Liverpool at the San Siro.
Atletico Madrid are level on points with Milan but beneath them on goal difference, with qualification even to the Europa League now far from certain.
Asked if this is one of the most challenging moments of his tenure at Atletico, Simeone said: "We have always had challenges. I am optimistic, always, I am, and I will never change.
"The team will compete very well for sure in the last game. The Champions League is unforgiving, those that get through will deserve it."
All but two of Atleti's previous 11 Champions League group appearances have seen them reach the last 16 while Milan are participating at this stage for the first time since 2014.
But Milan deserved their late winner, after showing far more ambition in a game that Atleti contributed very little to in any creative sense.
Both teams came in without the assurance of recent victories, with Milan, second in Serie A, losing to Fiorentina last weekend on the back of a draw against Inter.
Atletico sit fourth in La Liga and have endured a mixed start to the season, from which the biggest doubts have arisen around an increasingly leaky defence. Their win over Osasuna on Saturday was only their second in seven matches.
Their best chance of the first half came in the third minute as Yannick Carrasco crossed and Rodrigo de Paul's attempted finish brushed the outside of the post.
The rest of the opening 45 minutes was short on quality, with both teams let down by a lack of precision in the final third.
Milan, though, were the chief aggressors and while Atletico allowed frustration with the referee to grow, their biggest problem was escaping the Milan press, which for long spells contained them in their own half.
Theo Hernandez, who came through the youth set-up at Atletico only to leave for Real Madrid in 2017, for which he was consistently whistled throughout, perhaps had Milan's clearest opportunity but he lashed wide at the far post.
Milan were still the more cohesive team early in the second half, with Simon Kjaer heading over from a crossed free-kick.
Diego Simeone brought on Angel Correa and Renan Lodi while Stefano Pioli introduced four substitutes, including the 40-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Two of them combined to create a golden chance in the 71st minute, Messias freed down the left and pulling back for Tiemoue Bakayoko eight yards out but his finish was blocked by the right knee of Stefan Savic.
Atletico were wilting and Milan sniffed a winner. Ibrahimovic was slipped through but denied by a brilliant left-handed save by Jan Oblak and if that was a warning, Atletico failed to heed it, because moments later Messias headed in.
Franck Kessie hooked a superb left-footed cross into the middle, where Messias found a gap three yards out. The Milan bench sprawled onto the pitch in celebration.
-
13 Astronomical Clocks Connecting Time And SpaceJamia Islamia win Defence Day T10 cricket tournamentMedvedev, Fernandez advance to US Open semi2 soldiers wounded in suspected mine explosion at DMZTrump won't stop making a deceptive bird claim. Experts debunk it.Man expertly sums up how horrible it is to see your crush with someone elseS. Korea to hold info session on doing business with Iran助力“百千万”,粤海天河城开展618高州“土特产”专场直播12 Sculptures Made From Recycled MaterialsCan everyone please back off Alexander Skarsgård's moustache?
- ·Korea's economy to stop growing without drastic labor change: FKI
- ·Ruling party's labor reform committee kicks off
- ·Hands on with the HTC U 11 and its squeezable Edge Sense sides
- ·This matchmaking app lets you play cupid for your Facebook friends, whether they like it or not
- ·A Global Tour of Bakeries With Fascinating Histories
- ·助力“百千万”,粤海天河城开展618高州“土特产”专场直播
- ·Hey, Siri, Google Assistant is coming to the iPhone
- ·操作更简便 使用更安全
- ·Keurig K Mini deal — get $30 off at Target
- ·North Korea's ruling party delegation concludes trip to China, Vietnam, Laos
- ·Hey, Siri, Google Assistant is coming to the iPhone
- ·大型超市防控到位 市民可放心购物
- ·25 Years Later: A Brief Analysis of GPU Processing Efficiency
- ·Instagram's new 'archive' feature lets you hide posts without deleting
- ·Bayern recruit Sabitzer braced for boos on Leipzig return
- ·At the request of Chrissy Teigen, moms share the meanest things their kids have said
- ·Sports minister says audits into football, badminton federations set to conclude in Sept.
- ·Sheryl Sandberg denounces Facebook's anti
- ·Navy to pay compensation for delayed naval base project on Jeju
- ·助力“百千万”,粤海天河城开展618高州“土特产”专场直播
- ·The OLED Burn
- ·S. Korea reports no additional MERS cases for 25th day
- ·Hands on with the HTC U 11 and its squeezable Edge Sense sides
- ·九大名厨联名推荐!6月20日广州,邀您共赏贵品粤味一桌菜
- ·Tesla issues recall for 9,100 Model X cars
- ·增强森林防火意识 引导学生爱护环境
- ·科创筑梦树立远大志向 蓄势赋能培养科技人才
- ·How to share Google Photos animations to Instagram
- ·LeBron James destroys Trump with the perfect, understated insult
- ·White House cites Korea's carbon emission cut pledge as sign of growing international momentum
- ·US to oppose North Korean worker dispatch to occupied Ukrainian territory: State Dept.
- ·Navy to pay compensation for delayed naval base project on Jeju
- ·助力“百千万”,粤海天河城开展618高州“土特产”专场直播
- ·U.N. chief vows to help improve inter
- ·10 Big Misconceptions About Computer Hardware
- ·UK startup Improbable just raised half a billion dollars to build the Matrix