Milan stuns Real Madrid with 3-1 victory in Champions League clash
MADRID: AC Milan pulled off a sensational 3-1 win against reigning champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, in a match that saw Milan’s Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders each find the back of the net. This impressive performance highlighted Milan’s resurgence on the European stage and left Real Madrid reeling from consecutive defeats.
Thiaw opened the scoring for Milan in the 12th minute, heading in a corner to give the seven-time European champions an early advantage. Real Madrid quickly responded, with Vinicius Jr equalizing from the penalty spot just 11 minutes later, sparking hopes of a Madrid comeback. However, Milan regained control, as Morata capitalized on a rebound in the 39th minute to restore their lead. Reijnders then capped off a swift counterattack, finishing a Rafael Leao cross to secure Milan’s stunning 3-1 win over the title holders.
Real Madrid, coming off a bruising 4-0 loss to Barcelona, once again struggled to find their rhythm. This defeat places them precariously in 17th place in the Champions League standings, just one spot ahead of Milan on goal difference. The last time Madrid suffered back-to-back losses was in 2021, adding further pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti as his squad appears a shadow of the dominant force that achieved last season’s LaLiga and Champions League double.(Reuters)
