AC Milan stunned Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory in a Champions League clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders scored for Milan, delivering a statement win over the defending champions.<\/p>\n
Thiaw opened the scoring for seven-time European champions Milan with a header from a corner in the 12th minute.<\/p>\n
Real responded in the 23rd minute when Vinicius Jr. equalized from the penalty spot. However, Morata reclaimed the lead for Milan in the 39th minute, scoring from a rebound.<\/p>\n
Reijnders then sealed the win, finishing a Rafael Leao cross after a swift counter-attack.<\/p>\n
Real Madrid, struggling in 17th place in the Champions League standings, suffered their second consecutive defeat after a heavy 4-0 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico just over a week ago.<\/p>\n
This marked the first time Real has lost back-to-back games since 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to defend better collectively,\u201d Real Madrid captain Lucas Vazquez admitted. \u201cOur opponents are making us pay, and we must prevent it from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Relentless Milan<\/b><\/p>\n
Real attempted to control possession, but Milan\u2019s counter-attacks were relentless, exploiting Leao\u2019s speed down the left wing.<\/p>\n
Milan coach Paulo Fonseca had reportedly studied Barcelona\u2019s strategy in the Clasico, taking advantage of Real\u2019s vulnerabilities on the break.<\/p>\n
Leao\u2019s pace led to Milan\u2019s opener, as his run down the left earned a corner. Christian Pulisic\u2019s delivery found Thiaw, who headed past Andriy Lunin.<\/p>\n
Although Vinicius leveled with a penalty, Milan quickly reasserted control, with Morata capitalizing on a Tchouameni error and Reijnders adding a third after another quick counter.<\/p>\n
Real Madrid\u2019s frustration mounted, with the Bernabeu crowd booing as the team struggled to break down Milan\u2019s disciplined defense.<\/p>\n
Despite a disallowed goal by Antonio Ruediger in the 82nd minute, Real couldn\u2019t recover, and fans left the stadium disappointed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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