Lee Kang-in (PSG) battles back from injury but falls short at home to AC Milan.
PSG lost 1-2 to AC Milan in the fourth leg of their 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League group stage match at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, on Monday (Aug. 8).
PSG won the first leg 3-0 at home against Milan on Oct. 26 to top Group F, which was considered the group of death. PSG started the group on a high note with a 2-0 win over Dortmund in the first leg, but a 1-4 loss at Newcastle in the second leg put a damper on their momentum. Fortunately, they turned things around with a win in the third leg.
A win on the day would have put them in the driver’s seat in the Group F race. However, a loss would have been a disappointment.
AC Milan went into the game in a 4-3-3 formation. Mike Menezes was in goal, while Theo Hernandez, Picayune Tomori, Malik Chiaw, and David Calabria formed the defense. 먹튀검증 Tijani Reinders, Yunus Moussa, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were in the middle of the park, with Haphaël Leroy, Olivier Giroud, and Christian Pulisic up front.
PSG also lined up in a 4-3-3.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was in goal, while Ashraf Hakimi, Milan Skriniar, Marcinho, and Luca Hernandez formed the back four. Warren Zaire-Emericka, Manuel Ugarte, and Vitinha lined up in midfield, while Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, and Randall Kolo Mouani formed the front three.
Lee Kang-In, who had started the previous two Ligue 2 matches, was named to the substitutes’ bench.
Lee was a key part of PSG’s 4-2-4 attacking formation, which Luis Enrique has utilized for three consecutive games.
He had already scored his first goal for PSG in the third leg against AC Milan in the 44th minute after coming on as a substitute, and his first career Champions League goal.
After starting the next match against Brest and setting up Mbappe’s goal, Lee started the match against Montpellier and scored the winning goal, and began to show signs of dominance in the race for a PSG starting spot.
However, ahead of the match, it was announced that Lee had suddenly picked up a minor injury. He ended up on the bench.
After kickoff, AC Milan opened the scoring.
In the second minute of the first half, Leroy Sane unleashed an audacious left-footed shot from outside the penalty box that deflected off a defender and straight at Donnarumma. But it was PSG who took the lead. In the ninth minute of the first half, Marquinhos headed back a ball from a corner kick, and Scliniar finished with a diving header.
AC Milan didn’t go down without a fight, though. In the 12th minute, Giroud’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper, but the lofted ball was headed home by Leroy Sane on a bicycle kick. PSG was back on the attack. In the 15th minute, Dembele played a sharp penetrating pass from the right flank, but before Mbappe could get to the ball, the goalkeeper came out quickly to block it.
PSG’s best chance was squandered. In the 26th minute, Dembele received a pass from Zaire-Emericka and fired a shot straight at goal from outside the penalty box, but the ball hit the crossbar. With a goal apiece, the teams went into halftime tied at 1-1.
In the second half, AC Milan scored the winner. Giroud scored a sensational header five minutes into the second half to make it 2-1.
PSG made several substitutions to fight back. In the 15th minute of the second half, they brought on Lee Kang-in, who hit the post with a left-footed shot in the 44th minute. Lee made a brilliant individual move inside the penalty box with the opposing defense in front of him and fired a good left-footed shot. However, it didn’t go in.
In the end, no more goals were scored. PSG couldn’t find an equalizer and the game ended in favor of AC Milan.