AC Milan 1-1 Feyenoord (1-2 Agg)
Feyenoord made history by fielding their youngest-ever starting XI in a Champions League match, with an average age of 23 years and 258 days. Despite their inexperience, they rose to the occasion, securing a spot in the last 16 with a 1-1 draw against 10-man AC Milan, winning 2-1 on aggregate.
Milan got off to a dream start at San Siro, taking the lead just 36 seconds into the match as Santiago Gimenez scored against his former club. However, their advantage was short-lived. Early in the second half, Theo Hernandez received a second yellow card for simulation, reducing Milan to 10 men and giving Feyenoord a crucial opening.
The Dutch side took full advantage, with substitute Julian Carranza heading home from a Hugo Bueno cross in the 73rd minute. Tensions flared at the final whistle, leading to red cards for Feyenoord’s Givairo Read and Milan’s Rafael Leao.
Pascal Bosschaart’s team won’t be too concerned about that, though, as they now prepare to face either Inter or Arsenal in the next round.
A Bitter Blow for Milan
Gimenez, who had already scored five goals for Feyenoord in the group stage, became the first player in Champions League history to score both for and against the same team in a single season. Milan’s early strike was their third-fastest goal in the competition, behind Clarence Seedorf’s 21-second goal against Schalke in 2005 and Alexandre Pato’s 24-second effort against Barcelona in 2011.
Despite registering 18 shots to Feyenoord’s six and generating 1.14 expected goals, Milan failed to find a crucial second goal before Carranza delivered the decisive blow with Feyenoord’s only shot on target.
This marks a milestone for Feyenoord, who have reached the Champions League last 16 for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, Milan suffered their first knockout elimination by a Dutch club in the competition since losing to Ajax in the 1994-95 final.
