Defending Serie-A champions AC Milan reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League with their thumping win over RB Salzburg.
Olivier Giroud scored a brace for the home side. Meanwhile, Rade Krunic and Junior Messias scored one each.
Coming to the match, the Rossoneri needed at least a point to secure their place in the knockout stage of the Champions League. Meanwhile, Salzburg required an outright win to leapfrog AC Milan and qualify for the round of 16.
Stefano Pioli started with a 4-2-3-1 setup. Ciprian Tatarusanu played under the bar. Pierre Kalulu, Simon Kjaer, Fikayo Tomiriu, and Theo Hernandez formed the four-man defense. Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer played at the base of the midfield while trade Krunic started as the number 10. Ante Rebic and Rafael Leao played on the wings and Olivier Giroud led the forward line.
Giroud’s Brace Secured AC Milan Victory
The Italian team got a bright start to the match. Within the first three minutes, AC Milan captain Theo Hernandez Struck the bar with a powerful effort. AC Milan did not have to wait much for their first goal. French forward Olivier Giroud scored an unmarked header from Sandro Tonai’s corner to give the Rossoneri a 1-0 lead.
After conceding the goal, Salzburg tried to catch AC Milan on the counter but the home side kept their defensive lines strong and did not let the Austrian team single opportunity before the half time. As a result, Milan went back into the dressing room with a 1-0 lead at the break.
Just After the restart, AC Milan doubled their lead through Rade Krunic. Ante Rebic’s cross was expertly headed by Giroud towards Krunic who scored from a short range to make it 2-0 for the home side.
Giroud then scored his second goal of the match in the 57th minute. Rafael Leao made a surging run in the box and darted in a dangerous cross. Salzburg’s defender failed to clear the delivery and the Frenchman rocketed it home to give AC Milan a three-goal lead.
From this point, it was more of a game management for the home side as they more or less secured second place in the group. However, they still kept their pressure on Salzburg and Leao hit the crossbar in the 66th minute.
Junior Messiah then put the final nail in the coffin. After receiving a forward pass from Giroud, the AC Milan substitute scored a brilliant solo goal which sealed a 4-0 victory for the home side.
With this victory, AC Milan reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2013-14. The former seven-time winners finished as the runners-up in Group E. This was also their first back-to-back win in the Champions League since 2011.
Unfortunately for Salzburg, they failed to reach the next round and crashed out from the group stage. The Austrian team however finished third and will play in the UEFA Europa League.
