UCL: Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic Lead Milan to Victory

Milan Secure Hard-Fought Win Over Slovan Bratislava

In the 15th minute, David Strelec nearly caught the opposing team off guard, beating the offside trap and...

Milan secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League, thanks to crucial contributions from Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic.

Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao, and Tammy Abraham propelled AC Milan to their third consecutive Champions League victory, overcoming some sloppy defensive moments against Slovan Bratislava.

The pressure was mounting on Milan after their impressive 3-1 win away to Real Madrid was followed by inconsistent results in Serie A, highlighting the team's ongoing struggles to find consistency.

Alvaro Morata's suspension, combined with injuries to Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi, as well as Luka Jovic's ineligibility, led to Tammy Abraham starting alongside Rafael Leao, who was initially rested. Meanwhile, Davide Calabria and Christian Pulisic made their return to the starting lineup after recovering from injuries.

Slovan Bratislava entered the match with a dismal Champions League record, having lost all four of their previous games, scoring just two goals while conceding 15. The team was also dealing with injury concerns, including Marko Tolic, Lukas Pauschek, and Sharani Zuberu, although veteran midfielder Juraj Kucka was available after undergoing knee surgery in September.

Samuel Chukwueze made a promising start, curling a shot narrowly wide before going down after colliding with a defender. Despite his efforts, the opposing team maintained their dominance.

In the 15th minute, David Strelec nearly caught the opposing team off guard, beating the offside trap and rounding Mike Maignan. However, Strahinja Pavlovic made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Strelec and preserve the score.

Christian Pulisic tested the goalkeeper's reflexes with a powerful shot at the near post. Moments later, Pulisic combined with Tammy Abraham in a swift give-and-go move, sprinting towards goal and calmly slotting the ball past Dominik Takac into the far bottom corner to open the scoring.

The Milan lead was short-lived, as Slovan Bratislava capitalized on another swift counterattack just a couple of minutes later. Tigran Barseghyan seized the opportunity, sprinting clear of the Milan defense to face Mike Maignan one-on-one, before calmly chipping the ball over the goalkeeper to level the score.

The Slovan Bratislava attack continued to pose a threat, with the Milan defense struggling to contain them. A low cross into the box was blocked by Fikayo Tomori, while Tijjani Reijnders fired a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area. The pressure from Slovan Bratislava was relentless, but Milan managed to weather the storm.

The introduction of Rafael Leao at halftime added a new dimension to the Milan attack. Samuel Chukwueze thought he had won a penalty when he wriggled between two defenders, but his appeals were waved away by the referee.

Rafael Leao made an instant impact after coming on at halftime, as he latched onto a through ball from Youssouf Fofana, catching the defense off guard. With a smile already spreading across his face, Leao delicately flicked the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper, showcasing his clinical finishing skills.

The momentum swung further in Milan's favor when Slovan Bratislava committed a catastrophic error. David Strelec, under no pressure, played a careless back-pass that was intercepted by Tammy Abraham, who gratefully accepted the gift to score Milan's third goal.

However, the match was not without controversy. Rafael Leao and Emerson Royal both went down under challenges that appeared to be fouls, but the referee opted to wave play on. Slovan Bratislava capitalized on the decision, launching a swift counterattack that culminated in Nino Marcelli unleashing a powerful long-range strike that bent past Mike Maignan's outstretched glove and into the top corner.

The referee was at the center of attention once again, as Marko Tolic was shown two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent. The Slovan Bratislava player's frustration boiled over, and he was ultimately given his marching orders, leaving his team to face an uphill battle for the remainder of the match.