Milan finally got their first goals of this Champions League with an acrobatic Rafael Leao bicycle kick and Olivier Giroud header, beating PSG 2-1 to keep qualifying hopes alive.
The Rossoneri were in crisis with two points and zero goals in three Champions League ties, coming off back-to-back 1-0 Serie A defeats. Simon Kjaer, Pierre Kalulu, Marco Pellegrino, Ismael Bennacer, Marco Sportiello, Mattia Caldara and Luka Romero missed out, but Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic returned, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek back in the starting XI after a month. PSG made the trip without Danilo, Marco Asensio, Keylor Navas, Nuno Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe.
The Milan ultras prepared thousands of fake banknotes with his face on to throw at Gianluigi Donnarumma on his first return as an opponent since the free transfer in 2021.
An early Rafael Leao snapshot was straight at Donnarumma, then he skipped past Achraf Hakimi to set up Loftus-Cheek, who ballooned over from just inside the area.
However, PSG opened the scoring when Marquinhos flicked on a corner kick to the back post, where former Inter defender Milan Skriniar was totally unmarked for a crouching header.
The Rossoneri wasted another big opportunity, this time with Yunus Musah’s weak finish on a Davide Calabria pull-back, but they finally got their first goal of the tournament moments later.
Leao started the run from midfield, spread it down the left for Olivier Giroud, whose angled drive was parried at the near post into the path of Leao to score with an acrobatic bicycle-kick from six yards.
Mike Maignan came tearing out to deny Kylian Mbappé after the offside trap failed, then the Ballon d’Or winner prodded wide in a similar situation.
It was end-to-end stuff, as after Ousmane Dembele’s curler from the edge of the area thumped the crossbar, Loftus-Cheek sent Giroud through to hit the side-netting from a tight angle.
Fikayo Tomori’s free kick got over the wall and was beaten away by Donnarumma, while Leao hit the side-netting after a Tijjani Reijnders solo run.
Leao came sliding in to meet a Christian Pulisic cross and couldn’t get there, but Theo Hernandez kept it in play and whipped it in from the left for the towering Giroud header.
Donnarumma had to make a fantastic save on the hour mark, getting his fingertips to a splendid Theo Hernandez free kick that went around the wall, pushing it past the post.
Skriniar was booked for a body-check on Leao, who had already sprinted away from two defenders, then Noah Okafor almost scored with his first touch, a sensational low curler denied by the extraordinary Donnarumma fingertip save.
Lee Kang-in thumped the base of the near post, though Maignan potentially got a glove to it.
Milan 2-1 PSG
Skriniar 9 (P), Leao 12 (M), Giroud 50 (M)
Player statistic
| 9' |  |
Milan Skriniar (Assist: Marquinhos) | ||
| Rafael Leão | |
12' | ||
| 24' |  |
Vitinha | ||
| 29' | |
Randal Kolo Muani | ||
| 43' | |
Manuel Ugarte |
| Olivier Giroud (Assist: Theo Hernández) |
|
50' | ||
| 55' | |
Lucas Hernández | ||
| Yunus Musah | |
66' | ||
| 80' | |
Milan Skriniar |
Match statistic
Clearest double yellow for Skriniar. After he narrowly escaped with the first it wouldn’t have been all that harsh to give him a direct red when he cam in with his backside as the last man…