Osimhen made history by scoring a late equalizer against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions league but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory for Napoli. Despite their efforts, Milan’s backline put on a defensive masterclass, resulting in a 1-1 draw on the night and a 2-1 win on aggregate.
Stefano Pioli’s team entered the match with a 1-0 lead from the first leg at San Siro and needed to avoid a loss at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Giroud gave them the lead in the second leg, and despite a late equaliser as Victor Osimhen makes history, the goal from the first leg was enough to advance them to the Champions League semifinals.
It would not be an exaggeration to state that Napoli had the responsibility to dictate play in the match, given that they lost the first leg and the second leg will be played in their home stadium. The absence of Kim Min-Jae and Zambia Anguissa was always going to be a factor, and it was in this encounter. If they win, they will advance to their first-ever UCL semi-final.
It was Milan who had the first big moment of the game when Olivier Giroud played a penalty into the hands of David Meret, after Rafael Leao was fouled in the area.
In the 34th minute of the encounter, Luciano Spaletti was forced to replace Mateo Politano and Mario Rui due to injury, a significant blow to Napoli’s personnel.
Milan was always dangerous on the counter, and their dangerous transitions eventually paid off in the 43rd minute when Leao carried the ball a significant distance before setting up Giroud, who made amends for his earlier miss by finishing past Meret.
The second half mirrored the first, with Napoli dominating but failing to create anything concrete and the Rossoneri seeking to break on the counterattack.
Napoli believed they had finally scored when the referee pointed to the penalty spot following an infringement by Fikayo Tomori, but Mike Maignan won the battle of nerves against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and saved the Georgians’ attempt.
Osimhen Makes History
With time running out, it appeared as though the home team had no chance of advancing until their star player, Victor Osimhen, demonstrated why he was severely missed in the first leg.
The Nigerian striker scored an equaliser in the 93rd minute after connecting with a Giacomo Raspadori cross and heading it past the sturdy Maignan.
Osimhen’s goal arrived a little too late to spark a comeback, but it was Napoli’s first goal at this stage of a Champions league competition.