AC MILAN AND AUSTRIA: TIME MACHINE
History
After a few years, an Austrian side will return to San Siro in the form of AC Milan v FC Salzburg. Last time it was Austria Vienna, five years ago. This same FC Salzburg side faced AC Milan in the 1994/95 Champions League, losing 3-0 in a match that was later sanctioned by UEFA. Today, a few days before the final matchday of the group stage, we look back on AC Milan v Austria Vienna from 23 November 2017.
THE SCENE
Two wins and two draws for Gattuso's Rossoneri in their first four matches in Group D, which also includes AEK Athens and HNK Rijeka. We sit at the top of the group on 8 points, ahead of the Greeks on 6, the Austrians on 4 and the Croatians on 3. At San Siro the Rossoneri have their first opportunity to qualify for the round of 16: with a win required to secure knockout football. The first leg ended 5-1 to the Rossoneri, who face this challenge with an unfamiliar 3-5-2 and an André Silva-Cutrone combination in attack.
A SETBACK BEFORE A COMEBACK
In the 20th minute, the hosts were stunned into action as Christoph Monschein wrong-footed Donnarumma and found the back of the net as Bonucci's intervention was not enough to prevent the goal. AC Milan's reaction was immediate and vigorous: in the 26th minute Ricardo Rodríguez scored the equaliser, assisted by Borini, and ten minutes later André Silva made it 2-1, getting on the end of a free-kick from the Swiss international. Borini found himself in the spotlight again in the 42nd minute, when he pounced on a ball destined for the touchline and crossed it straight onto the head of Cutrone, who faced an open goal and made it 3-1.
ANOTHER TWO GOALS, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
In the second half, AC Milan took control of the game and increased their lead in the 70th minute through André Silva again, who had already bagged a hat-trick in the first leg: the Portuguese marksman spun around in the box and fired the ball past Pentz, who barely had time to react. Cutrone put the game to bed in the dying minutes: Antonelli's long ball from the deep found Patrick, who tucked it away to make the score 5-1, the same result as the first leg and more than enough to earn their ticket to the Round of 16.
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