Jacob Steinberg was in Milan, and his report is here. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
Graham Potter speaks to BT Sport. “To come here and win is certainly not easy, that’s for sure. So credit to the players. They were really good. We get a bit of luck with the opponent going down to ten men, but overall the performance was good. It’s nice to keep a clean sheet again, and to come away with three points is fantastic for us. I’ve not watched the sending off back, but it looks as though he’s got a hand on him, and Mason was through on goal, but I’d need to have a look at it again. It was a nice move to get there in the first place.”
With the game in Zagreb between Dinamo and Salzburg ending 1-1, this is how Group E looks tonight. Pleasant reading for Chelsea; not so much for the champions of Italy.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| 2 | Red Bull Salzburg | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 4 | -3 | 4 |
| 4 | Dinamo Zagreb | 4 | -2 | 4 |
FULL TIME: Milan 0-2 Chelsea
No goals, six yellows and one red for Milan; two goals, three yellows and one worrying injury to Reece James for Chelsea. A deserved win for Graham Potter’s resurgent side, who were bottom of Group E last week and are top of it now.
Updated
90 min +4: Loftus-Cheek has a whack. The ball breaks of Havertz to Gallagher, whose shot is parried by Tătăruşanu. Then the flag goes up for offside.
90 min +3: The Milan fans continue to make glorious noise, despite their team once again giving them very little to sing about.
90 min +1: Some space for Origi down the left. Origi cuts back and drives into the box, before trying to surprise Kepa with a low shot towards the bottom left. The Chelsea keeper is behind it all the way.
90 min: That’s all for Chilwell, who is fine, but is substituted for Cucurella. Then Ballo-Toure goes into the book for sliding through Azpilicueta. There will be four extra minutes.
89 min: Tonali is booked for sticking an arm across Chilwell’s throat.
88 min: Azpilicueta zips down the right and cuts back for Gallagher, 12 yards out. Gallagher can’t sort his feet out for a shot. The ball is worked back to Chilwell, who drags a speculative shot wide right.
86 min: Gallagher is booked for a nibble at Ballo-Toure.
84 min: Under no pressure whatsoever, Gabbia rolls a pass out of play for a throw. One way or another, it’s not been Milan’s night.
82 min: More Chelsea possession. The clock ticks on. Suddenly Jorginho dinks down the middle for Havertz, who would be free in the box, but is unable to bring down the ball dropping over his shoulder.
80 min: Aubameyang makes way for Havertz, while Ballo-Toure and Origi come on for Leao and Hernandez.
79 min: The home fans whistle. The away section crack out the olés. Tonali, frustrated, boots Jorginho up the jacksie. Nothing too hard, so just a ticking off.
78 min: Chelsea are pinging this around for fun now, eating up time against the ten men with nonchalant ease.
76 min: Loftus-Cheek rolls a pass down the inside-left channel for Aubameyang, who improvises a scooped shot across Tătăruşanu that only just floats wide of the top-right corner. In fact, the ball takes a slight deflection, though nothing comes of the resulting corner.
75 min: Chalobah makes an awful balls of a long ball down the middle. He miscontrols then falls over, allowing Leao to tear off with the ball. Leao should slip the ball to Rebic, just to his left. Had he done so, Rebic would have been free. But he hesitates, opts to go it alone, and allows Chalobah to make up for his error by getting back and helping Koulibaly to block.
73 min: Chelsea are managing the game in a fuss-free fashion. They’ve barely put a foot wrong this evening.
71 min: Chalobah has a dig from distance. Nope. Meanwhile the Milan fans are making their own entertainment, and plenty of noise. Despite it all, they’ve brought one hell of an atmosphere tonight.
70 min: There’s a penalty check by VAR. It’s not entirely clear what for. Gabbia tussling with Jorginho at the aforementioned corner, maybe. Whatever. VAR isn’t interested.
69 min: Loftus-Cheek feeds Azpilicueta, who earns Chelsea a corner down the right. The set piece is half cleared by Milan. Chilwell goes for the spectacular from 30 yards. Nope.
67 min: Pobega clips Loftus-Cheek on the toe, and goes into the book. The Milan fans are predictably furious, but their man didn’t get anywhere near the ball.
65 min: A sense at the moment that both teams would happily declare the result now. Nothing much going on.
63 min: Milan respond by swapping out Bennacer and Giroud for Rebic and Pobega.
62 min: James is replaced by Azpilicueta, while Sterling makes way for Loftus-Cheek.
61 min: Ah, this isn’t such good news. Dest went past James with absurd ease there, and now the Chelsea defender goes down again. He’s clearly feeling his knee, and won’t be able to continue. At least he’s able to get back up and walk off under his own steam, but he looks concerned, World Cup coming up, all that.
60 min: Leao turns on the jets and wheechs down the left touchline. He loops long for Dest, coming in from the other flank. Dest has time to take a touch, enter the box, and line up a shot … then he blazes carelessly wide and high. Big chance.
58 min: Great news: James gets back up after a fashion, and looks happy to continue. Chelsea hearts were in mouths for a moment there. Just for a second or two, that looked grim.
Updated
56 min: James stretches to nick the ball off Hernandez’s toe, then lands awkwardly. He goes down having hurt his right knee. Hopefully not a serious twist, but he looks in plenty of pain.
54 min: Kovacic rakes a pass down the left for Chilwell, who whistles a low cross through the six-yard box. Aubameyang and Sterling can’t quite get there. The ball’s recycled to Kovacic, who miscues a shot from the edge of the D. It breaks to Aubameyang, who tries to manufacture a flick past Tătăruşanu, but the keeper blocks well.
53 min: Chilwell hits it long but Silva can’t connect properly at the far stick. Milan clear their lines.
52 min: Gabbia is forced to concede a corner as Aubameyang pressures him down the left. Chilwell to take.
50 min: James meets a cross from the left and bundles a weak volley wide right. Chelsea are pressing for a third that would surely rid them of any doubt that remains.
49 min: Chalobah rolls a cute pass down the inside-right channel for Gallagher, who enters the box and skips around Tătăruşanu to the keeper’s right. Gallagher tries to slot from a tight angle, but can only find the side netting.
48 min: Dest cuts inside from the right and slips Tonali clear down the channel. Tonali cuts back into a crowded box, but Silva is on point to clear with Giroud lurking.
47 min: Chelsea stroke it around patiently. Then Jorginho pings a pass down the left and nearly releases Chilwell into the box. Chilwell miscontrols and the flag pops up for offside anyway.
Milan get the second half underway. Conor Gallagher comes on for the Magnificent Mason Mount, who has done more than enough to earn some downtime.
Administrative update. In the wake of the Big Decision, both Mount and Giroud were booked, presumably for excessive flapping of neck. So with one player already sent off, there are another five currently one misdemeanour away from joining Tomori for an early bath: Giroud, Gabbia and Krunic for Milan, Mount and Sterling for Chelsea. There were 17 free kicks in that half, the majority of them conceded by Chelsea (ten).
For the record, BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand agrees with the penalty and red card decision. “Anywhere else on the pitch, [Tomori’s tug on Chilwell] is going to be called as a foul. And the rulebook states that, if there’s no intent to play the ball, which there isn’t there, you’re going to get a red card. The rules are the rules. I don’t necessarily agree with them, I’d always feel hard done by, but the rules are the rules.”
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HALF TIME: Milan 0-2 Chelsea
Milan hear the half-time whistle. Then different kinds of whistles as their fans give referee Daniel Siebert the bird. Say what you like about severity (or otherwise) of the penalty and red card decision, Chelsea have been magnificent and are well worth their lead.
Updated
45 min +4: Mount swings the free kick into the mixer. Leao heads it clear. Milan really need to hear the half-time whistle.
45 min +3: James hares down the right and is scythed down by Gabbia, who has already been booked. Just a free kick. Milan are really teetering on the tightrope here.
Updated
45 min +2: Chelsea spend the first couple of extra minutes hogging the ball.
45 min: There will be five bonus first-half minutes. That gives Harriet Osborn time to take issue with my description (37 min) of Sergino Dest. “‘More defensively minded Dest’ might be a bit misleading. He’s basically the USA’s answer to Trent Alexander-Arnold. Great going forward (especially for his country) but a bit lacking in defence.”
44 min: Mount spins effortlessly away from Hernández, and takes a stride down the inside-right channel before fizzing a low shot towards the bottom right. Tătăruşanu needs to extend himself at full stretch in order to tip around the post. Nothing comes from the resulting corner. Mount has been excellent tonight. Involved in both goals, and so comfortable in possession. He’s worth that pay rise!
43 min: In the other Group E game, Robert Ljubičić has equalised for Dinamo Zagreb against Salzburg. It’s 1-1 at the Stadion Maksimir.
42 min: James finds himself with space and time down the right. He’s got plenty of team-mates in the box, but floats an uncharacteristically poor cross out for a goal kick. He has the good grace to apologise to his pals.
41 min: The 11 men of Chelsea stroke the ball around the middle of the park, just because they can. The ten men of Milan can’t get anywhere near it.
39 min: Leao drops a shoulder and wins a corner down the left. Hernandez hits it long. Giroud rises highest at the far post, ten yards out, but can’t keep his header down and the ball sails harmlessly into the stand.
37 min: … and with that in mind, Diaz is replaced by the more defensively minded Dest.
36 min: Krunić into the book now, for general loss of noggin. Milan really need to calm down here. What’s done is done, and there’s an awfully long way to go.
35 min: That was a delicious finish. Tătăruşanu was surely expecting Aubameyang to shoot across him and towards the bottom left. Nope!
GOAL! Milan 0-2 Chelsea (Aubameyang 34)
This is such a sweet goal! Chelsea ping it around patiently, only to suddenly spring into action. Kovacic rolls a pass towards Mount on the left-hand edge of the D. Mount immediately pings it to his right, intended for Sterling. But Sterling leaves the ball for Aubameyang, who charges in and whips a sensational sidefoot into the bottom right!
Updated
32 min: Now it’s Gabbia going into the book, for shoving over Mount as the Chelsea midfielder was in the process of adroitly spinning away from him. Whistles pierce the Milan air. A lot of livid people in San Siro!
31 min: It takes an awfully long time to calm Milan down and get them to take the resulting free kick. Finally Hernandez takes, and blazes a ludicrous effort miles over the bar, and wide to boot. “It is quite clear the person most effected by the atmosphere this evening is the ref,” writes Brendan Large. “He is having a shocker.”
29 min: Sterling comes sliding in on Krunic and earns himself a yellow. He connected with his studs there, and is fortunate the referee doesn’t take the opportunity to level up the numbers. Milan aren’t happy about that either. Red would have been harsh, but you have seen them given.
28 min: Diaz twists Chilwell inside out as he sashays down the right. He whips a cross towards Giroud at the near stick, but doesn’t beat the first man. Chelsea clear.
27 min: Milan finally clear their heads a wee bit, and put together a move that should have led to an equaliser. Diaz curls in a cross from the right. Giroud meets it with his head, six yards out … but flashes wide right. He had to score. Milan should be level.
25 min: Say what you will about the severity of the punishment: Tomori was tugging Mount from behind, and that gave the referee a decision to make. “Sheesh, that’s harsh on Milan. And what’s worse, they will have to defend for the rest of the match like there’s no Tomori!” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the cured meats.
23 min: That’s a soft penalty, never mind the red card, and Milan are beyond livid. Kovacic and Hernandez go shoulder to shoulder down the Milan left, and the Milan player goes down theatrically. They’ll be looking to goad the referee into making this ten versus ten, so expect more of this.
GOAL! Milan 0-1 Chelsea (Jorginho 21 pen)
Jorginho calmly rolls the penalty into the bottom left. Tătăruşanu, having been given the eyes, goes the wrong way. Chelsea lead!
Updated
20 min: The referee obviously thought Tomori’s hand on the shoulder denied Mount a goalscoring opportunity. That’s pretty harsh, and Milan are livid. They surround the referee … who isn’t going to change his mind. VAR isn’t interested either. Penalty and red card it is!
Penalty to Chelsea and red card for Tomori!
18 min: Mount bustles into the Milan box down the right. Tomori tugs at his shoulder. Mount stays on his feet and tries to lob Tătăruşanu. The keeper blocks, but the referee points at the spot and flashes red at the former Chelsea defender!
Updated
17 min: In the other Group E game, Salzburg have taken a 12th-minute lead against Dinamo Zagreb through Nicolas Seiwald.
16 min: This game continues to zip along hysterically. Prolonged periods of possession are at a premium right now.
14 min: A free kick now for Milan out on the right. Tonali hooks it into the mixer but Koulibaly heads clear with confidence.
13 min: Kovacic strips the ball from Bennacer, 30 yards from the Milan goal. He strides towards the box, with options either side, but the referee preposterously awards Milan a very generous free kick. The hosts were in a spot of trouble there.
11 min: Sterling scampers down the left and cuts infield. He enters the box and goes down, but there’s no penalty claim, Bennacer having stopped him in his tracks legally.
9 min: Hernandez catches Mount late and is the subject of the referee’s latest lecture. Then Aubameyang’s presence down the left forces Gabbia into the concession of the game’s first corner. From that, Milan launch a counter, which Sterling does well to break up with his defence all over the show. No real shape to this game yet, and it’s lively and entertaining as a result.
8 min: The game is being played at 101 miles per hour. Mount flicks a header down the right wing in the hope of releasing James into acres of space, but Tătăruşanu races out of his box to clear.
Updated
6 min: Milan seem up for this. They’re first to most balls at the moment. Probably no surprise, given their meek showing at Stamford Bridge last week. They’ll want to make a statement.
4 min: Hernandez dribbles hard and takes on Koulibaly down the inside-right channel. He cuts inside and is brought down by the Chelsea defender’s hanging leg. Just a free kick, but a sense that the former Napoli star will earn a yellow card if he tries it on again.
2 min: The first free kick of the evening as Mount stands in the environs of Tomori, who falls over. Confusion all around. Tomori springs back up and play restarts. Mount isn’t happy at receiving a ticking-off from the referee, having done very little to deserve one.
Chelsea get the ball rolling. The stadium is bouncing.
The teams are out! The Rossoneri wear their titular red and black, while Chelsea sport second-choice white and [checks marketing bumf, adjusts pince-nez] chlorine blue. There’s one heck of an atmosphere at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, or San Siro for short. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes, once Uefa’s mixmasters bang out their retooling of Zadok the Priest.
PRE-MATCH TACTICAL ANALYSIS courtesy of Phil Barker (because I’m certainly not doing any): “I like Potter, it looks like he’s been reading the Winnie Schaeffer playbook. Lining up in a 3-2-2-1-2 formation, which was always the most effective when he was manager of Karlsruhe. Three at the back (which easily transforms to a five). James and Chilly wide, Kova and Jorgy central, with play going through Mount to the two strikers (who are both mobile, play middle or wide, and are lethal anywhere – bit like Mike Channon in a two up front). Plus while libero is a thing of the past, Silva does like getting forward and is probably closer to it. It may work better with Havertz or Gallagher in the hole, but let’s give Mount a try.”
Mick Channon, huh. Any old excuse to revisit the greatest goal scored in the entire history of the English top flight.
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… and seeing we’re riffin’, be-boppin’ and scattin’ on the Old Lady’s pain, just take a look at this early result in Group H: Maccabi Haifa 2-0 Juventus. The 1985 and 1996 winners, currently eighth in Serie A, are now plunged into a whole world of misery on the continent as well. That’s a first home win in the Champions League for Maccabi in 20 years … and five defeats in 13 matches this season for Massimiliano Allegri’s rabble. There’s a lesson to learn here. Never go back, kids. Never go back.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | Benfica | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Juventus | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 | Maccabi Haifa | 4 | -4 | 3 |
Here’s what Milan have been up to since last Wednesday. Poor old Juventus! Nicky Bandini has all the details.
Graham Potter speaks to BT Sport. “We’re excited. We’re here to compete. The home crowd will be right behind them. In terms of play, they’ll be pretty much the same, but they’ll be looking to improve their performance, and we need to do the same as well. You can second-guess the table all night, but the important thing is to focus on the match and play to win, and whatever the result is, we have to deal with. But we will be positive and try to win the game. We believe we can cause them a problem, but we also know they’re a good team as well, and they’ll be looking for revenge. So we have to be humble, suffer when we have to, and fight to get the points. We’re all very privileged to be here.”
Chelsea make two changes to the XI named for last week’s match at Stamford Bridge. Jorginho and Trevoh Chalobah replace Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is benched, and the injured Wesley Fofana.
Milan make three changes to the side they sent out in London last week. Brahim Díaz, Matteo Gabbia and captain Theo Hernández return; Fodé Ballo-Touré and Sergiño Dest drop to the bench, while Charles De Ketelaere has pulled a muscle and misses out altogether. Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud, formerly of Chelsea, both start.
Updated
The teams
AC Milan: Tatarusanu, Kalulu Kyatengwa, Gabbia, Tomori, Hernandez, Bennacer, Tonali, Diaz, Krunic, Leao, Giroud.
Subs: Toure, Rebic, Dest, Origi, Messias, Pobega, Mirante, Coubis, Jungdal.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell, Mount, Sterling, Aubameyang.
Subs: Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Bettinelli, Mendy, Broja, Zakaria, Gallagher, Azpilicueta, Havertz, Chukwuemeka, Cucurella.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany).
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Preamble
Last week this happened …
… and now Group E is much easier on Chelsea’s eye. Graham Potter’s side dominated Milan at Stamford Bridge last week, and if they put in a similar performance tonight at San Siro, they’ll take a huge step towards the knockout phase. Or will Milan bounce back and throw everything up in the air again? Kick off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Salzburg | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 4 | Dinamo Zagreb | 3 | -2 | 3 |
