PRIMAVERA BEAT PORTO TO REACH THE YOUTH LEAGUE FINAL!
Youth Teams
Us again, we're in the Final! The Primavera keep on fighting and continue to dream. The game ended 2-2 at the end of normal time between AC Milan and Porto, but a third win in three in the lottery of penalties booked the Rossoneri a place in the final of the Youth League. An neverending game took place in Nyon: Scotti opened the scoring, the Portuguese fought back through Meireles and Brás before Simmelhack’s injury-time equaliser took the match to a penalty shootout where, as against Braga and Real Madrid, the Rossoneri's coolness – together with a super Raveyre – saw them come out winners once again.
The tension was palpable, with only one spot up for grabs. At the Center Sportif de Colovray, Coach Abate's team showed all of its character and qualities, adding a piece of history to an already incredible European run. Porto wasted their chances to seal the game, and the Rossoneri never gave up and believed until the very end, earning a place in the Final for the first time ever; it is the first time for an Italian club too. The game, not to be missed, is scheduled for Monday 22 April at 18:00 CEST, with Olympiacos, who defeated Nantes on penalties in the other semi-final today, awaiting our Primavera lads. A round of applause and a massive well done, guys!
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM PORTO v AC MILAN
MATCH REPORT
It was an aggressive AC Milan from the off. The Rossoneri controlled possession with personality and took the lead in the 12th minute: Scotti stole the ball off Brás and found the top corner perfectly from a tight angle to make it 1-0. The match remained tense, with AC Milan good at moving the ball around with quality and limiting Porto's spaces, which started to develop as the half went on. The first threats came from a setpiece ball that failed to trouble Raveyre, but in the 39th minute Bartesaghi got in the way of Meireles' shot, with the ball wedging in his arm in the area, resulting in a penalty being given. Meireles himself stepped up from the spot and despite Raveyre guessing the right way it was not enough to stop it from going into the top corner. The last chance of the first half fell to Sia, who headed Stalmach's corner over the bar in the 45th minute: 1-1 at half-time.
The start of the second half was an even affair. Porto broke the stalemate in the 65th minute with Fernandes' run forward and shot, which was deflected behind. From the resulting corner, taken by Meireles, Brás headed the Portuguese in front. The Rossoneri reacted, but the Dragões came close to grabbing a third on the counterattack first through Sousa (71') - who wasted a good chance fro in front of goal - and then Mora (76'), whose right-footed effort clipped the woodwork. A big chance came in the 79th minute: Bartesaghi played a ball into the centre and Simmelhack’s turn and backheel towards goal only found the opposition keeper, Diogo Fernandes. It was Porto again in the 84th minute as Nsiala saved Martins' well-struck shot on the line. The final push rewarded the Rossoneri: Zeroli’s persistence set Simmelhack free through on goal and he could not miss, and made it 2-2! The penalty shootout ended with another Rossoneri party: 6-5 and we are in the final!
MATCH DETAILS
PORTO 5-6 pen. (2-2) AC MILAN
PORTO (4-3-3): Diogo Fernandes; Martim Fernandes, Ribeiro, Brás, Rodrigues (88' Ferreira); Teixeira (71' Campas), Oliveira, Mora (80' Martins); Sousa, Candé, Meireles. Subs: Lacerda; Andrade, Gomes, Varela. Coach: Capucho.
AC MILAN (4-3-3): Raveyre; Magni, Simić, Nsiala, Bartesaghi (87' Bonomi); Stalmach (67' Liberali), Malaspina, Zeroli; Scotti, Camarda (67' Simmelhack), Sia (74' Sala). Subs: Bartoccioni; Bakoune, Parmiggiani. Coach: Abate.
Referee: Karaoglan (TUR).
Goals: 12' Scotti (M), 41' pen. Meireles (P), 65' Brás (P), 90'+3 Simmelhack (M).
Penalty shootout sequence: Meireles (P) saved, Bonomi (M) goal, Brás (P) goal, Simić (M) saved, Martins (P) missed, Simmelhack (M) goal, M. Fernandes (P) goal, Liberali (M) goal, Sousa (P) goal, Zeroli (M) goal.
Booked: 26' Nsiala (M), 35' Camarda (M), 53' Simić (M), 61' Oliveira (P), 76' Rodrigues (P).
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